The launch of the Mpumalanga Mechanisation programme which was scheduled to take place on 30 April 2010 has been postponed until further notice. This will allow all stakeholders to finalise all technicalities around the roll-out.
The launch in Mpumalanga is part of a series of launches that will be unfolding in support of increased utilisation of land to improve production especially on land that is lying fallow. The programme in its entirety will cover all nine provinces between 2010 and 2014 and will be supported by a R450 million government investment.
The presidential launch in June 2010 will mark the significant determination of government to provide inputs and mechanisation for the communities working the land. The government has introduced various measures to develop and improve food production, mainly to ensure food security, creating vibrant self sustaining rural economies and to create jobs.
Through the mechanisation programme, the means of production will be made accessible to encourage and intensify cultivation and use of land. From the previous roll-out through the Masibuyele Emasimini programme in Mpumalanga, an improvement of 10 percent in the cultivation of land and a positive shift in the livelihood of people living in abject poverty was observed.
The current rollout will further include production management training, mechanical skills development to ensure that these tractors are well maintained, tractor utilisation monitoring, as well as collection of valuable data to assist beneficiaries with forward planning. The new date for the Mechanisation programme launch in Mpumalanga will be announced soon.
Contact:
Priscilla Tsotso Sehoole
Tel: 012 319 6042 or 021 467 4537
Cell: 083 265 8728
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
29 April 2010
