Durban - Emerging black farmers in Bergville, northern Drankensburg, have been given an opportunity to supply yellow maize to South African Breweries (SAB).
The project is a result of a partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development, and SAB.
Although SAB is in the business of making and selling alcoholic beverages, some of their products rely heavily on agricultural crops like yellow maize.
"Now our farmers will supply the much needed tons of yellow maize to the SAB processing plant in Johannesburg to make sure that production continues," said the department's MEC Lydia Johnson.
The farmers will supply 180 000 tons of yellow maize, which has to be free from genetically modified organisms. SAB is prepared to buy 5 000 tons in the first year of the project and the quantity will gradually increase over time.
She said that the department had been consistently encouraging and supporting emerging farmers to advance their skills and to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset.
"South African Breweries approached us just at the right time. This is a milestone for our emerging black farmers in the province... this will transform our communities for the [better]," said Johnson.
The MEC, although happy with this programme, was still concerned by statistics that showed 3.5 million people in KwaZulu-Natal suffered from malnutrition in 2009.
People in the province have been encouraged to plant crops for household consumption and then sell the excess for profit.
The Bergville launch coincided with the start of department's mechanisation programme in Uthukela.
Local farmers in the Okhahlamba, Ndaka, Imbabazane and uMtshezi municipalities, through the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme, were given machinery, seeds and lime.
The mechanisation programme was launched to give support to vast agricultural activities in the district.
"We have a responsibility of supporting emerging farmers, to ensure that they develop to their full potential and become fully fledged entrepreneurs.
"The issue of sourcing out markets once the food has been produced is a challenge we are now addressing," said Johnson.
