G Nkwinti to hand over animals to Wilgespruit Farm, 10 Aug

9 August 2006

The Department of Agriculture in partnership with the Grootfontein College
and University of Fort Hare (UFH) will be handing over seven Merino rams, two
Nguni bulls and 10 heifers to the Wilgespruit Farm owners as part of the
Department’s livestock improvement strategy. The ceremony will be held at the
above mentioned farm about 15 kilometres outside Aliwal North towards
Sterkspruit on 10 August 2006, at 10h00.

The Wilgespruit farm which is 1 330 hectares in size was acquired through
the government’s programme called Land Redistribution for Agricultural
Development (LRAD) in 2003 by 14 households who were living around the farm.
They started to practise livestock and crop production such as maize and
wheat.

The Department of Agriculture further helped the project by fencing the farm
and build a stock watering facility. Project Manager, Mr Sefatsa, said so far
they own 143 herds of cattle and about 458 sheep. He said 84 people are
benefiting directly in the project and five villages are indirectly
benefiting.

Although 2003/04 was declared a drought season they managed to plant wheat
on 27 hectares and harvested 627 50-kilogramme bags of wheat in 2005. “We have
also planted 30 hectares of wheat and 19 hectares of maize and we are about to
harvest maize of which the estimated yield is approximately 40 tons,” said Mr
Sefatsa. “We have good relations with Pannar and Bokomo Milling with regard to
marketing of maize,” said Sefatsa.

He said they usually employ 15 casual employees to assist with harvesting
and normally employ 20 casual labourers to remove weeds and to erect
fencing.

However, Mr Sefatsa said they have limited resources which makes it
difficult to plough all the land that is available to them hence they have
handed an application to the Department of Agriculture for a tractor with
implements and are waiting for a response. “We have also highlighted a need for
a storeroom and a shearing shed to store maize and wheat,” said Mr Sefatsa.

MEC Nkwinti will officially hand over the animals.

Contact:
Thando Sonjica
Cell: 082 774 4768

Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Eastern Cape Provincial
Government
9 August 2006
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za/)