INFRASTUCTURE BOOST FOR ALIWAL NORTH FARMER

THE Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform continues to assist farmers in the province with infrastructure, technical support and mentoring. One such farm that has benefitted from DRDAR is Esperence farm in the Walter Sisulu Local Municipality under the Joe Gqabi District.

The farm was acquired through the Land Redestribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) program in 2003 and it currently has 90 cattle, 130 Donhe merino sheep and 100 boer goats. DRDAR has assisted the farm with infrastructure such as stock water system, fencing, animal handling facilities, multipurpose shed. Some of these projects are complete while some are still under construction.

In 2017, DRDAR managed to construct the animal handling facility that includes a neck clamp, the loading zone and weighing scale.

The farm was also assisted with boundary and internal fencing in 2017 and this helped keeping animals safe and they are now able to practice necessary veld rotation. DRDAR is currently busy with the construction of multipurpose shearing shed with shearing equipment and small stock handling facilities.

“I will use this shed for shearing purposes, packing of feed and also keep my vehicles safe inside. I have 130 sheep - they give me four bales of wool” said owner Payo Madikwa.

The farmer now manages to shear, sort, bale and sell the wool to CMW in Port Elizabeth and the shearing shed will improve the quality of wool which will translate to better profits for the farm. Madikwa also sells the animals locally through use of feedlots and direct sales to abattoirs and locals.

The farm has managed to employ three permanent general workers while casual workers are employed during shearing season.

Furthermore, six temporary jobs were created during the infrastructure construction.