The Eastern Cape Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) MEC, Nonkqubela Pieters, has kicked-off the provincial annual grain planting season, as part of the department’s ongoing investment in commercial and communal grain production.
Launched at the Dalasile Agri Park (DAP) in Ngcobo in the Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality on Thursday, the grain planting season will see R93 million invested in the production of maize, oats, sorghum and soya beans in the province’s grain corridors of Alfred Nzo, Chris Hani, Joe Gqabi, OR Tambo and Amathole.
More than 9 000 farmers in the province will produce grain on 27 774 hectares through the R93 million investment of the department.
Speaking at the launch, Pieters said one of the department’s priorities is the transformation of the grain value chain in the province.
She said the department is investing money in black farmers to elevate them to a commercial level, while ensuring food security for families.
“The Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality will be supported with 2 025 hectares under the DRDAR Grain Development Partners through the agri park, while 1 905 hectares is split between mechanisation and production inputs to support smallholder grain producers,” Pieters said.
One of the beneficiaries, Nokwandisa Mdayi, said her life changed from doing menial jobs, such as laundry for families in her community, to becoming a self-sustaining farmer when she joined the commercial grain production programme, funded by DRDAR through its multimillion rand investment in the Dalasile Agri Park.
“The development in this project has transformed our lives and those of our children. I used to suffer a lot, doing laundry for people but now I am able to earn more money at the end of the month and provide for my children.
“The business does not only provide opportunities for its members, but also for other community members. During harvesting, I call women from the community to pick excess grain that is not picked up by the harvester and we pay them R120 a day,” Mdayi said.
Highlighting the positive impact of government investment in Nkondlo, DAP Chairperson, Yanga Dalasile, said the agri park has received an investment of R16.3 million from government under the partnership model for the past three years, and the investment has, in the past seven years amounted to more than R500 million, through the cropping fields.
“We have more than 15 off-take agreements, which enable us to sell our produce at commercial markets. The one that has been the best is Bester, which sold our soya beans to China at R9 000 per ton,” Dalasile said.
Dalasile said the area had been known as a crime hub where all forms of violence thrived, but now that bleak picture has been changed.
“After the start of our grain business, the area is now known as an agricultural hub of the Eastern Cape because we are the second biggest communal land-based project in the province and we have been moving from strength to strength,” Dalasile said with pride.
AB Xuma Mayor, Siyabulela Zangqa, said the municipality has plans to construct a processing plant in the area for the production of animal feed.
“When we have a processing plant here, it means that we are going to have sustainable jobs and our fight against poverty, unemployment is going to succeed,” Zangqa said. – SAnews.gov.za
