by Olwetu Batyi | Oct 26, 2020 | atp1
Agriculture is a business and you can make life out of it
The department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) will assist 28-year-old Yonela Ndzoboyi with a borehole for irrigation purposes where he plants different kinds of vegetables, MEC Nomakhosana Meth announced.
She was speaking during a visit to the Lencolin Green Project in Ludeke Village in Bizana,“inspired and impressed” by work done by Ndzoboyi an agriculture graduate who “chose doing business instead of seeking employment.”
“We are proud to have people of this caliber, who are focused and have vision to develop others. I am inspired and impressed about how this young man is showing his love for agriculture hence the department will assist by drilling a borehole so that the good work can continue.
“We want to create a generation of farmers and Yonela has showed us that, that is possible,” said Meth.
The visit and the event at Ludeke forms part of the Provincial government’s celebration of the birth of the late political activist Tata Oliver Tambo, who attended his primary school in Ludeke.
Ndzoboyi, an Agriculture Management graduate, says he was “inspired by my late father. I say I was raised to become a farmer, as everyone in this village knew how I used to hold a plough from young age when we using cattle to plant.
“I started this initiative from the funds I saved from the stipend I received when I was doing my in-service training. I was offered a job to manage a farm in Pretoria but I chose to do my own business instead of making someone else a millionare,” said the spirited young person.
He told the farmers and the community members attending the event that the industry “needs someone who does research, willing to share ideas and be exposed in good agricultural practices.”
After telling the MEC that he used to use his father’s cattle to prepare land before plant, she said “you are leaving example that its laziness that make people not venture into things because of the condition they are faced with.”
The project markets and sells its produce to hawkers, Boxer Store in Bizana and the community. The department assisted with mechanization, planting inputs and pesticides.
“All I can say about this department is that, I appreciate what it has done for me since I started in 2007. I also preach that ‘agriculture is a business and you can make life out of it.”
Development in the project includes planting of potatoes in 5ha of land in a partnership with Potato SA, this has been facilitated by DRDAR.
by Olwetu Batyi | Oct 24, 2020 | atp1
GOV AGRICULTURAL FINAL ARTWORK COMBINED A6
by Olwetu Batyi | Oct 14, 2020 | atp1
THE Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and agrarian Reform recently held its Annual Women
Empowerment programme where MEC Nomakhosazana Meth urged women under her department’s employ to lift each other as they climb up the corporate ladder.
The two-day Women Empowerment programme took place at the East London-based Alexandre Golf course from Thursday to Friday.
According to organiser who is also director for the SPU, Lulama Manitshana the programme is meant to emancipate women and push for gender equality within and beyond the work space.
Addressing the attendees who came from all districts of province, MEC Meth said in many instances women were the stumbling blocks on each other’s progress.
Meth vehemently denounced the ‘pull her down’ syndrome which she said was prevalent among women.
“As slow as it may be but the government is working tirelessly to eliminate inequality across all spheres of life and this is evident through the ongoing changes in our policies.
But even us, ourselves, need to come to the party and become wheels of the change they want to see
“The system was anchored on patriarchy and it is us the victims who need to unite, stand up and speak in one women voice as women stop pulling each other down so a selected few can climb up and join the men up there,” said Meth.
Newsletter 12 October 2020 DRDAR women told to lift as they rise.
She said the issue of gender oppression could no longer be put on ice.
“Let’s lift each other up as we rise. We are in this together and we must fight for equality where everyone
–men and women- are able to grow in the workplace based on merit not because we want to meet a quota.
This starts with respecting the cleaner and the woman who makes you coffee and clean your office. Create an
environment where that cleaner can become the HOD in the next five years,” said Meth.
Bulelwa Lusaseni who delivered a motivational talk on the day echoed Meth’s sentiments and encouraged women to be ‘fixers’of each other’s crown.
She said the apparent division among women was a coping mechanism to male dominance.
“Women have resorted to dropping the things that seem to weigh them down so they can fly high to the top and unfortunately those ‘things’ that seem to be weighing them down are fellow women.
Let’s uplift one another because we only have ourselves,” said Lusaseni.
The empowerment session took place on a flamboyant gala dinner fashion with strict observation of the COVID-19 regulations.
by Olwetu Batyi | Sep 30, 2020 | atp1
Government commit to fight poverty
By Thozi kaManyisana
The Eastern Cape provincial government is committed to ensuring poverty, unemployment, underdevelopment and inequality is eradicated so that the people of the province can benefit from the economic spinoffs.
This was the message relayed during a media briefing aimed at unpacking the integrated anti-poverty provincial strategy by MECs for Rural Development and Agrarian Reform Nomakhosazana Meth, Health MEC Sindiswa Gomba, Human Settlements MEC Nonkqubela Peters and MEC for Social Development and Special programmes Siphokazi Lusithi.
Speaking during the briefing held at the Bhisho Massacre Memorial, MEC Meth outlined the department’s interventions to poverty. She said the main programme that seeks to address food production at household level, which is known as Siyazondla, has a budget of R40 million for poultry and vegetable production in 20 000 households across the province.
MEC said the Department has allocated R94 million for the provision of production inputs and mechanization for grain farmers in the province. She said in this cropping season, the department was targeting 28 116ha for planting.
She said in the current financial year a sum of R15 million was allocated for vegetable production in “high potential areas”.
To improve income generation in the livestock development programme, DRDAR is working with National Agriculture Marketing Council through the Custom Feeding Program. She said 15 of the Custom Feeding Centres will be supported in 2020/21 financial year with a budget of R7 million to provide feed production, she said.
The MEC also revealed that farmers in the province had generated foreign revenue to the tune of R387 million through live exports of livestock to the Middle East.
Furthermore, the Department has supported 116 smallholder farmers with 84 bulls and 377 heifers across the province with each farmer receiving 15 heifers andone1 bull while young farmers recieved 20 heifers and 1 bull each.
She said the delivery of genetically superior bulls and heifers will continue during the financial year with a total of R93, 6 million set aside to support farmers on wool, genetic improvement, custom feeding, animal health, poultry and piggery projects. This initiative is expected to create 677 jobs in the province.
The MEC said the department is supporting black citrus farmers to increase production by 445 ha in Amathole and Sarah Baartman where the department is working with Citrus Growers Association to assist farmers to secure more funding from JobsFund in an initiative that will create 756 new jobs.
She also mentioned the deciduous fruit expansion in new areas of the province focusing in Gubengxa Valley where a total of 450 ha would be developed under apple production and is expected to create 764 jobs opportunities
The MEC said in support of antipoverty strategy, DRDAR is currently working towards constructing 71 boreholes, scooping 216 dams, 10 dip tank renovations, building of nine animal handling facilities, erection of 530 kilometres of fencing and installation of seven stock water systems. This will create 1 762 jobs, she said.
On youth development, MEC said the national Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform through the NARYSEC programme has mobilised 203 youths which were supported under the Covid-19 smallholder farmer support programme and were provided with agricultural production inputs.
She said on the internships, learnership and bursaries programme DRDAR has supported 122 youth while 114 unemployed graduates have been placed in various commercial farms and cooperatives in order to afford them an opportunity to gain hands on farm experience.
As part of ensuring that people in rural areas have access to one of the most basic rights, the MEC said DRDAR is implementing spring water protection program in Chris Hani, Alfred Nzo and Joe Gqabi where the department protects spring water and channels it to communities through pipes and taps.
Whilst irrigation schemes in Amathole, Chris Hani and OR Tambo are expected to create 3 406 sustainable jobs
“In promoting rural agro-processing initiatives, the department is operationalising five (5) in KSD, Ncora, Mbizana, Emalahleni and Tshabo. The facilities are being reconfigured to serve as demand aggregation centre for smallholder and communal producers,” said MEC Meth.
She added that the department was initiating two mechanization centres in the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality and Elundini Municipality in support of smallholder cropping farmers and communal producers.
by Olwetu Batyi | Sep 24, 2020 | atp1
MEC METH JOINS PINEAPPLE HARVEST
By Thozi kaManyisana
EASTERN Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform MEC yesterday joined pineapple farmers in Ngqushwa during their first harvest since their started operating in 2018.
Yesterday’s harvest of 7ha at Cornfields which is expected to yield about 300 tons. The price per ton according to the consumer price index costs about R1500.
Speaking during the harvest, MEC Meth said Cornfields Farm was a true example of citizen activism as the farmers decided not to sit “idle” and wait for handouts.
DRDAR invested about R3, 8 million for pineapple production between 2018 and 2019 in Ngqushwa, on deliverables that include planting, provision of fencing material and payment of employees for bush clearing and farm work.
In this financial year an investment of R7 million has been allocated for pineapple production in Ngqushwa. The funds will be utilised for production inputs and labour.
DRDAR has appointed 20 people through the Expanded Public Works Programme to assist with clearing the fields in preparation for planting.
One of the owners, Mvuthuza Maputi (81) who grew up at Cornfields Farm said his dream of becoming a farmer had finally come true.
He spent a large number of his years as a farm worker. “I have been waiting for this moment where our governing is working hard to develop us.”
His daughter Noluvuyo Mali recalled how Maputi refused to leave the farm where his father and grandfather are buried.
“He convinced us to come and work this land when he made us do an application to use the land for development. Even though we were reluctant at first, we now see a brighter future.”
Mali said this first harvest was giving them hope as they have not seen any income since they started operating.
“We are thankful to the department for their support because if it was for them we would not be here,” said Mali.
DRDAR Acting District Director in the Amathole District Zoliswa Maleza said “workers in the pineapple farms here have a stake in the shares of Summerpride,” adding that she was a trustee who is representing the government in business transactions and that farmworkers are getting a share of the profits.
