New farmers’ association ready for first crop

A NEW government-backed group of farming cooperatives in the Lady Frere area has tilled the soil for their first big crop.

Eight cooperatives under the Zenzeleni Farmers’ Association were ready to plant, Rural Development and Agrarian Reform MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane said on Friday.

He was addressing the launch of the Zenzeleni Farmers’ Association in the Mhlanga administrative area.

Farmers in the Chris Hani district who were at the launch, spoke of their renewed hope after heavy rains fell in the area over the past few days opening up opportunities to cultivate their land.

Nozuko Mbhabha of Kuyakhanya Cooperative, said: “While there is plenty of land to cultivate, the recent drought has affected us badly. The lack of water catchment areas such as dams stops us from cultivating most of the land. We did not want to use the water that we get from taps as that is meant for human consumption and not irrigation.”

Despite the limitation, the Kuyakhanya cooperative still managed to produced and sell 300 bags of potatoes to local customers.

Mbhabha said their poultry project was doing well and avian flu, which affected more than 5 000 birds at a farm in Uitenhage last month, had not affected them.

“We grow about 100 chickens at a time and sell them to locals. Our goal is to go commercial and we want to group our chickens together so we can sell in bulk,” said Mbhabha.

Qoboshiyane told farmers at the launch that other nations used available land to produce food, and that had South Africa started with agrarian reform in 1994, all available land would be green by now.

He said the department had constructed the shearing shed and provided equipment worth more than R600 000 for their agriculture business activities.

Qoboshiyane called on the private sector to assist local cooperatives by buying their produce.

Noluyanda Mtshiwo of the Thixo Ungenelele corporative said they wanted to trade under one banner instead of operating in isolation.

The project came third in the Rural Development of the Female Entrepreneur Awards this year.

Bongiwe Ngqatani of the Ngqatani Royal Family Corporative said cooperatives would be trying to eliminate low-yield activities.

The six-members, co-op, five of whom were women, had received livestock and seed from the department.