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MEC METH PAYS UNANNOUNCED VISITS TO EDEN AGRI SERVICES AND GATYENA CITRUS FARM ALONG R67
MEC of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, Ms Nomakhosazana Meth has today paid unannounced visits to Eden Agri Services which functions as a pack shed for citrus primary production in the nearby and Gatyena Citrus Farm along R67.
“We are embarking on this unannounced visits to monitor the compliance to COVID 19 regulations and hygiene standards. These visits have also afforded us an opportunity to interact with farm workers on challenges that are imposed by this pandemic. These unannounced visits are largely aimed at assessing the farming environment, the facilities, the conduct of owners and managers and the attention given to hygiene services that farm workers are receiving during this period,” said MEC Meth.
MEC Meth will visit the various farming farms and agricultural value chain facilities in order to observe adherence to COVID 19 regulations.
“Whereas we support the sector’s various production targets, we are equally a caring government for all, regardless of social class. We continue to emphasise that farm workers must be treated with respect and dignity,” MEC added.
Farm institutions are encouraged to adhere to COVID 19 regulations and protect employees at all times.
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AGRICULTURE INTERVENTIONS TO COMBAT COVID – 19
The Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) is supporting the Department of Health (DoH) during the outbreak of Covid-19 by providing six mobile veterinary clinics to increase the field screening capacity.
This was announced by DRDAR MEC Nomakhosazana Meth during a press briefing held at the Bhisho Massacre Memorial Centre where Premier Lubabalo Mabuyane with some MECs were updating the media about the status Covid-19 in the province.
Meth added that the department has also made available on loan basis to the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), through DoH, three (3) Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) extractors and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) “machine” (amplifier) to augment the existing provincial capacity for laboratory testing.
Apart from the support to DoH, the MEC also reported on the COVID-19 Disaster Agricultural Support Fund, COVID-19 Disaster Agricultural Support Fund to PLAS farms, COVID-19 Disaster Agricultural Support Fund to commercial farmers, DRDAR COVID-19 Household Food Security Programme and DRDAR COVID-19 Disaster Agricultural Support to commercial farmers
The COVID-19 Disaster Agricultural Support Fund (CDASF) was announced by the minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza with of R1, 2 billion to cushion off farmers and households to continue food supply from the negative impact resulting from the pandemic across the country.
MEC Meth said DRDAR officials assisted farmers with the application process and received applications through all local and District offices.
From 23 April 2020, DRDAR offices registered 9885 forms that were hand delivered and 723 applications were lodged on line which gave a total submission of 10 608.
She said all the applications are currently being screened at district offices where DRDAR and the National DARDLR is represented and adjudication at provincial level is going to be concluded on May 8.
On the COVID-19 Disaster Agricultural Support Fund to land reform beneficiaries, which also Minister Didiza’s initiative aimed at ensuring food security whilst the country grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, MEC said seven farms were identified.
“These farms were identified prior to the COVID-19 disaster and as such the support will be provided in terms of their original assessment and related production inputs, key infrastructure including water provision and water board fees,” she said, adding that the assessments of the specific needs of the farm has a budget of R 63.4m.
She added that farmers on Proactive Land, Acquisition Strategy (PLAS) farms will benefit in the R400m of the R1.2 billion that was allocated in line with the former DRDLR Stimulus Package.
She said there was also COVID-19 Disaster Agricultural Support Fund to commercial farmers, which is allocated an amount of R100million nationally and will be administered by the Land Bank.
Meth announced that DRDAR has established COVID-19 Household Food Security Programme, which has a budget of R20 million.
The MEC said this program will support the vulnerable household with the production needs that include vegetable production inputs, fertilizer, provision of free-range indigenous chicken’s production pack that include 6 hens and one rooster as well as yellow maize and stress packs.
She added that DRDAR working with sister departments will provide households with hand sanitizers face masks and hand gloves whilst households with no access to water will be supported with water harvesting equipment that will ensure availability of water for backyard gardens
Meth said the National department has provided the province with PPE’s that are being distributed to the farm workers and target hotspots.
The MEC said 40 000 masks and 44 000 bar soaps had been delivered to the province for distribution to farm workers and DRDAR is currently procuring 20 000 cloth masks and 20 000 gloves.
DRDAR, through its Dohne Agricultural Development Institute in collaboration with Rhodes University has produced 1 300 litres of sanitizers, which were packaged in 500 ml.
“The institution is currently producing 300 litres per day and the plan is to increase to 1000 per day. This initiative will benefit the surrounding communities, agriculture value chain facilities and rural communities’,” Meth said.
The Tsolo Agriculture and Rural Development Institute is also producing cloth mask to support the surrounding communities with the production expected to increase to reach 10 000 over a next two months.
“The departmental continuity plan responds to the current issue that farmers are experiencing, to this effect farmers and officials were issued with movement permits for easy access to markets.
“The departmental support to the farming community through supply of PPE is ongoing and commercial farmers in Sarah Baartman and Amathole were visited for inspection and distribution.
“The technical units of the department had been visible in the communities doing scouting and treatment of African and Fall Army worms, as well as animal health related outbreaks,” the MEC concluded.
Fairbairn visit
Just as if COVID-19 was not enough, we have discovered that certain pockets of our grasslands and pastures were infected with African armyworms, as the Department we activated a technical team to help fight these worms that are destroying pastures and grasslands in the three districts namely Amathole, Alfred Nzo and Chris Hani districts.
This outbreak comes hot on the heels of one of the worst droughts in living memory and affects our communities in tandem with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic. Districts that were heavily affected by drought, who are now experiencing a resurgence of greener pastures and grasslands are encouraged to conduct vigorous scouting for the insect both in maize fields and pastures.
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MEC TO AID HAWKERS
In her capacity as MPL deployed in the Cradock constituency, Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform MEC Nomakhosazana Meth hands over food parcels, fresh vegetables, dignity packs and sanitizers to Hawkers in Cradock. With Hawkers being an integral part of the South Africa’s economy, offering easy access to a wide range of goods and services in public spaces, the impact of the COVID-19 on Hawkers and small businesses has been severely disrupted by COVID-19.
COVID-19 has affected Hawkers’ businesses, with some being unable to put food on the table. MEC Meth therefore felt it necessary to help this sector to continue putting food on the table for their families as the business have been disrupted by COVID-19.