Minister hands Komani farm to 102 beneficiary residents

RURAL Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti on Friday handed over Gallawater Farm, near Komani, to 102 beneficiaries resident on the farm.

The beneficiaries are part of the one hectare, one household, five sheep government programme.

Almost R2.5-million has been allocated by the department to this project.

According to the department’s Malerato Molokoane, this is part of the department’s strategy to combat poverty and rekindle a class of black smallholder farmers as well as create sustainable employment in rural households.

She said the department had approved 7km of fencing, renovation of sheds, machinery, equipment, a bakkie and 70ha vegetable production.

“The tractor, implements, equipment and bakkie have been delivered and 15ha of land have been prepared, and maize, potatoes and butternut have been planted on 4ha,” Molokoane said.

“The department has also appointed a site manager.”

Molokoane said they had acquired 350 ewes and 14 rams for the project.

“We have the one household, five sheep project and they are going to share the 14 rams,” she said.

“We also provide technical and business skills in agriculture.

She said initially the families would use just one section of the 904ha farm.

Nkwinti said he was proud of what the people of Gallawater had done and wished other regions would learn from it.

“I have learnt a lot here, the one household, five sheep programme is a good thing and it is only happening here. I would like other areas to come and learn that,” he said.

“I want all mayors to be champions of the project. We want you to start treating farming as a business.”