• Small farmers losing out at stock auctions:

Emerging farmers have appealed to Bhisho to take action against commercial farmers who use their financial muscle to outbid them in livestock auctions at the Adelaide research station.

The auctions were originally aimed at emerging farmers.

The research station was built by the agriculture department in the mid-1990s to empower black farmers.

Khobonqaba Farmers’ Association secretary Zandi Dyantyi led a protest from Adelaide to the corridors of the provincial legislature on Tuesday.

The farmers claimed officials colluded with commercial farmers, giving them the headsup on auctions.

But rural development and agrarian reform MEC Nomakhosazana Meth denied the allegations.

Dyantyi said: “We have raised concerns about auctions happening at the Adelaide research station.

“We have been complaining for some years and ended up approaching the then rural development and agrarian reform MEC Xolile Nqatha, who came to Adelaide and listened to the farmers association.”

He said announcements were often made on the day of the auctions and it appeared as if the commercial farmers knew in advance, as their trucks started rolling into town days before the event.

Khobonqaba Farmers’ Association member Elias Mfengu said agriculture officials would tell them that the commercial farmers would get first preference and the auctions always caught them off guard.

The association’s secretary, Simphiwe Mtwebana, said they had handed over a petition to officials in Bhisho.

Among their demands are:

● That the auction benefits or prioritises Khobonqaba Farmers’ Association members, Adelaide residents and other emerging farmers;

● Auction announcements or notices must be announced a month before the date of the auction;

● Prices at the auction must be affordable so that even a pensioner could benefit; and

● Adelaide residents should be considered for job opportunities arising from the research station as it transpired that 95% of the incumbent staff complement were not from the Adelaide area.

Responding to some of the allegations, Meth’s spokesperson, Ayongezwa Lungisa, said: “Collusion during auctions is not possible as this is a process that is done in front of every bidder.”

He said all the auctions held at the Adelaide research station were aimed at disposing of surplus livestock.

Lungisa acknowledged that the farmers had written to the department.

He said the department had a process that identified stock to be auctioned off to previously disadvantaged farmers.

Public participation, petitions and education committee chair Mziwonke Ndabeni said in terms of the petitions procedure, as soon as the petition arrived at the speaker’s office, the committee would take two or three weeks to deal with it. –

‘We have raised concerns about auctions happening at the Adelaide research station’ Zandi Dyantyi

FARMERS ASSOCIATION SECRETARY