by Olwetu Batyi | Oct 6, 2021 | Uncategorized
Youth’s passion in Agriculture inspires MEC
By Thozi kaManyisana
THERE was much jubilation and ululation at Great Kei Municipality’s Mangqukela Village in Mooiplaas when Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) MEC Nonkqubela Pieters donated 1400 seedlings to a local cooperative.
Chicago Primary co-op owns a 4ha piece of land where they grow potatoes and maize as well as leafy vegetables which they sell at Spar Supermarket and the surrounding community.
“The passion of the youth here is inspiring, I am happy that I was engaged by young people who are working with their parents in the farming industry.
The agricultural sector has been historically dominated by men and some are now elderly hence I applaud the involvement of youth in this project.
It is very essential to work with youngsters in this industry so that they can see the value of the land where the wealth is,” she said.
The MEC was “elated” by the testimony of an unemployed graduate Nomagcina Suduka who told the MEC how the young people were active participants in agriculture from food gardens, ploughing fields to rearing livestock, poultry, as well as woodwork and fashion designing.
“I thought I would surprise you by coming here driving a tractor so that you can see a young woman can also drive a tractor and be able to plough,” said the 28-year-old who is ploughing vegetables on 2ha of land.
She said the MEC’s visit to the village, which has four “united” vegetable producing projects, has “encouraged us as young people.
We want to follow our parent’s foot steps so that when they are gone there can be continuation of growth and development.”
Chairperson of the five-member Chicago Primary Co-op Vuyisile Siko praised the department for its “continuous support, which is changing our lives for the better.
The MEC visit will give us the willpower to grow stronger and produce more.
“Land is the number one natural resource, which is the pillar of development and that is what we teach our children.”
He said they started their project in 2016 and DRDAR has been supporting them through its household food security programme that is aimed at ensuring households are producing food for consumption and generating profit with the surpuls.
The MEC committed herself to come back to area for other rural development initiatives like sewing and furniture making as well as other agriculture projects.
by Olwetu Batyi | Oct 6, 2021 | Uncategorized
Youth camp entice youngsters into agriculture
Initiatives to spark the interest of young people into the lucrative agriculture sector that has also proven to be an economic driver in the Eastern Cape are at play.
The Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform recently joined forces with private entities on a youth camp intended to spark interest for agriculture among youngsters in the province.
The two-day youth camp took place in Geluk Game Farm, Middelburg under the “Open your Eyes, open your Mind, open your Ears, you are a Walking Potential” Theme.
A group of 54 pupils formed part of the camp that is set to be an annual programme. The young minds came from different schools in the Chris Hani region.
Founder of the agricultural youth camp, Nokhanyo Maceba said she had to approach schools and pitched her intentions to the schools which gladly bought into her idea and released a certain number of pupils and that was the kickstart of the project
“The project is targeting school going agricultural learners especially those that are in agricultural schools across the province and those learners that are doing agriculture as one of their school subjects,” she said.
“The agricultural student camp is going to be an annual event where learners are exposed to different disciplines and ample of opportunities in the agricultural sector.
Agruse’s vision, the non-profit organisation that leads the youth camp, not only contributes to the development of the young person through the matric pass rate but also inspire them to choose agriculture as a career of choice .
Encourages and expose them to partake in all opportunities in the sector so that they can also be job creators instead of employees.
“Agriculture is significant contributor to economic development and the economy of the country and Agruse working with DRDAR and DALRRD and other stakeholders can contribute significantly to the plight of high rate underdevelopment and unemployment that the country is grappling with”, said Maceba.
The pupils who took part in the camp didn’t go home empty-handed as they received certificates.
by Olwetu Batyi | May 21, 2020 | Uncategorized
DRDAR MEC Nomakhosazana Meth flanked by the beneficiaries of 40 Tuli Heifers that were handed over as part of department’s Livestock Improvement programme in Ngqushwa. From left, Hambile Msiwa of Selborn farm, twins Zovuyo and Zipho Makhwabe of the Wicklow farm and Bonnie Bokwe of Skipper’s Block farm.
by | May 17, 2020 | Uncategorized
Media Statement
17 May 2020
MINISTER DIDIZA ANNOUNCES THE OUTCOME OF THE COVID-19 AGRICULTURAL DISASTER FUND APPLICATION PROCESS
The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Ms Thoko Didiza announced today the outcome of the Covid-19 Agricultural Disaster Fund application process. The fund intervention of R1,2 billion aims to address the effects of the Coronavirus and ensure sustainable food production post the pandemic.
The smallholder and communal farmers’ application process opened on 8 April and closed on 22 April 2020 and 33 000 manual application forms were distributed through our provincial and district offices, commodity and civil society organisations.
“I am pleased to announce that after the closing date, 55 155 applications were received. The Eastern Cape Province received the highest number of applications followed by the Northern Cape and North West.
To date, 15036 applications have been approved valued just over R500 million in favour of smallholder and communal farmers,” said Minister Didiza.
She said the department will finalise its decision on the remaining applications in the next week.
“Of the 15036 approved applications, 5 494 are women, 2 493 youth and 224 people living with disability and males at 9542. Livestock has been the most requested commodity by farmers, followed by vegetables, poultry and fruits. Each of the approved farmers will receive inputs in line with the size of their farming operations up to a maximum of R50 000,” said Minister Didiza.
The Minister added that a further R400 million is being channelled to farmers within the Proactie Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS) who were already approved for the department’s Stimulus Package as they had initially been budgeted for in the 2019/2020 financial year.
“It must be noted that an amount of R600 million had to be reprioritised from the Stimulus Package on PLAS farms in the 2019/2020 budget to assist the other smallholder and communal farmers in terms of this Covid-19 intervention,” said Minister Didiza.
The issuance of vouchers to provinces will commence tomorrow, 18 May 2020. The department engaged the services of different suppliers through an open supply chain management (SCM)process to avoid any delay in the delivery of these inputs.
Minister Didiza highlighted that there was a number of lessons learnt from the process, which will require government and the sectors, especially commodity groups working with small-scale and subsistence farmers, to build on. Among others, the department has noted the lack of proper documentation or filing of documents by famers.
“It saddens me that during this process many of them fell by the sideway because they could not provide proof that they are farmers or farming. The registration of farmers on the Producer Farmer Register will enable government to locate farmers so that targeted support can be provided,” commented the Minister.
She urged farmer organisations to assist farmers in formalising their operations, especially insofar as record-keeping is concerned.
The Minister made it clear that monitoring and evaluation of this programme is very important to ensure value for money and food production. Therefore, the department will work with various NGOs and civil society organisations to monitor and evaluate the implementation of this intervention on the ground.
“Through this intervention, we want to ensure that agricultural production continues to ensure food security for the country. Food is being produced at farm level and deliveries are made to wholesalers, retailers, fresh produce markets and other critical distribution points,” said Minister Didiza.
“We urge the food value chain role players to strictly comply and adhere to strict health regulations to contain and arrest the spread of Covid-19 as we strive to supply food to the nation,” concluded Minister Didiza.
-Ends-
For media enquiries, please contact Mr Reggie Ngcobo, Media Liaison Officer on 0829932458.
Issued by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
