Small-scale farmers to receive R1.2bn

THE government has set aside R1.2 billion to assist mainly financially distressed small-scale farmers in a bid to ensure that for the next six months of the Covid-19 crisis, South Africa is able to produce food and whatever small gaps there are in the production chain can be plugged.

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza announced the funds as part of the department’s interventions to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

Didiza said: “The qualifying criteria are that they must be South African citizens who have been actively farming for a minimum of 12 months and are in the production season or cycle; be registered on the farmer register, commodity database or provincial database (those not on the farmer register will be registered to benefit); be communal farmers and smallholder farmers with an annual turnover of between R50 000 and R1million.”

“The adjudication will prioritise women, youth and people with disabilities,” said Didiza.

Applications for this funding will open from tomorrow and close on April 22. No late entries will be accepted.

Application forms will be available from tomorrow on the departmental website, www.dalrrd.gov.za, and through national, provincial, district and local offices of both the national Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and provincial departments of agriculture. Applications can be lodged electronically at applications@dalrrd.gov.za, or submitted to the offices as outlined.

Meanwhile, the provincial treasury has approved the allocation of R53m in additional funding for emergency food relief programmes that will run across the Western Cape.

Premier Alan Winde said: “The allocation of funds for the emergency food provision plan includes R20m to distribute 50000 food parcels, each of which will support a family of four for one month. The Department of Social Development will allocate these funds to selected NGOs to prepare and distribute the food parcels.”

Social Development MEC Sharna Fernandez said: “Our NGO partners’ existing networks will ensure we can get food to those who need it most, as quickly as possible.”