The Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture officially launched the R100 million worth 2025/26 Cropping Season in Bhaziya Village, Mthatha today.
The event, held during World Food Security Month, served as a platform for MEC for Agriculture, Nonceba Kontsiwe, to champion the role of youth in the sector and detail the provincial government’s multi-pronged approach to tackling food insecurity and poverty.
MEC Kontsiwe, committed to encouraging and supporting young people to join agriculture, deliberately used the youth-owned agribusiness, Jay Jay Farming, in Mputi village near Mthatha, to showcase excellence and the opportunities available in the sector. The 2025/26 summer cropping season will cover approximately 23,000 hectares, comprising grain, vegetable and fodder crops. This builds on the success of the 2024/25 season, during which the Department successfully planted 22,584 hectares of maize, yielding more than 112,920 tons of grain. About 90% of the total targeted hectares are dedicated to grain production.
The MEC for Agriculture Nonceba Kontsiwe today officially handed over a fully equipped shearing shed to woolgrowers in Pirrie Mission. She was accompanied by Dr Fundisile Bese, Chairperson of the Legislature Portfolio Committee on Agriculture. The handover was part of the official activities of Taking Legislature To The People.
The Department of Agriculture’s Ngqushwa Local office today handed over food production inputs to local farmers under the Ilima lokulima Food Production Programme (2025–2030).
Members of the local community received poultry feed, piggery feed, potato, carrot and butternut seeds.
Ngqushwa Local Municipality Mayor delegated councilors Nomzamo Mthathi, Nandipha Dyalvani, Nondyebo Jako and Chief Njokweni from emazizini traditional council and deputy chairperson of Ngqushwa house of traditional leaders attended and delivered messages of support at the event. #Ilimalokulima
MEC Kontsiwe Officially Launches Ilima Lokulima Initiative in KwaNtonga village, Debe Nek.
Eastern Cape MEC for Agriculture Nonceba Kontsiwe has officially lauched Ilima Lokulima Initiative, delivering on her commitment to empower rural communities through Agriculture development.
While the MEC did not attend because she was presenting the 2024/25 Clean Annual Report at the Bisho Provincial Legislature, she deployed local councilors to represent her.
The MEC has committed, through Ilima that the Department will respond to the Food insecurity and economic development.
Ilima calls on communities to come together to cultivate +- 200 gardens.
The Department of Agriculture (DoA) in the Chris Hani District Municipality hosted the annual Extension Advisory Services Awards aimed to recognize and appreciate the work done by Extension officials.
These awards focus on the two pillars that include accountability and visibility when they are servicing the farmers. The officials awarded are those who are making a difference to farmers and are enhancing the image and professionalism in extension services.
“We have communities that depend on our work so that they can produce food.
Extension and Advisory Services Director Noluvuyo Nqeno urged the EAS officers to always be ‘sober minded’ when serving farmers as they are the face of the department.
The winners are as follows:
• Msimelelo Mgolozelwa under Candidate category.
• Ayanda Mvalwana for Certificated category.
• Nangamso Mlaza for Professional category • Thabang Makinya for Technical support category
The Department of Agriculture (DoA) held a LandCare Awareness Campaign at Alex Laing Hall, Kroonvale, Graaff-Reinet on 02 October 2025.
The campaign aimed to educate farmers and land users on sustainable practices that conserve land and the environment for the benefit of present and future generations.
In 2024/25, the Department supported two Land Reform farms with veld grass reseeding due to land degradation. The awareness highlighted interventions implemented by DoA while guiding farmers on prevention measures.
The audience engaged included emerging and smallholder farmers, Land Reform beneficiaries, farmer unions, and land users across Dr Beyers Naudé LM (Aberdeen, Graaff-Reinet, Nieu Bethesda, Klipplaat, Jansenville).
Apart from the DoA officials stakeholders in attendance included, Ward Councilors, Land Reform Department, ECDC, Led section from the Dr Beyers Naudé LM and NDA
