category
1 September 2007
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Agriculture and Environmental Affairs honourable
Mtholephi Mthimkhulu had full praise and accolades for members of the Sibonelo
Vegetable Garden Female Co-operative for carrying the province aloft during the
national Female Farmer of the Year Competition held at Emnothweni Sun in
Nelspruit, Mpumalanga province last night (Friday, 31 August).
The 60-strong female farmer group from Jozini in the uMkhanyakude District
Municipality walked away with the coveted first prize of R100 000 in the
Household Food Security category in the national competition thus piping to the
top spot the other contestants from other eight provinces. The Sibonelo
Vegetable Garden Co-op was representing the province of KwaZulu-Natal in the
Household Food Security category after it won in the provincial selections at
an event held on the South Coast on 14 August
"I am very excited as the MEC for Agriculture and Environmental Affairs as
well as the entire department that this group of determined female farmers has
done our province proud by winning the national honours in their chosen
category. This is a real achievement for us as a province and on behalf of our
Premier Sibusiso Ndebele, I would like to congratulate members of the Sibonelo
Vegetable Garden for hoisting the name of our province so high. They have been
true ambassadors for the province and they deserve to be showered with
accolades by all the people of KwaZulu-Natal," said MEC Mthimkhulu.
Fact-Sheet and Background on Sibonelo
Sibonelo Vegetable Garden (consists of 60 members)
Jozini Mkhanyakude
Assets:
* operating on 10 hectares of land
* irrigation system
Activities:
* cabbage
* onions
* sweet potatoes
* mielies
* beans
Growth and innovation
* have built a market stall for their surplus produce along the road
* they were initially farming from their homestead in 1989 and later moved to
the current garden after being given land by the Department of
Agriculture
* prepare their own seedlings for all crops except cabbage seedlings which are
purchased from the Pongola nursery.
Social responsibility
* Battering system amongst members
* donate to neighbouring needy households
* supply cr�ches with their surplus
* involve and mentor youth on vegetable production.
Environmental Management
* practice mulching
* plants are only watered at specific times to conserve water
* donate crop residues to pig farmers
Strengths
* sell surplus to sustain the project
* have brought in youth to the project as succession plan
* sell cooked maize cobs at the market
For enquiries please contact:
Mbulelo Baloyi
Media Liaison Officer in the Office of the MEC for Agriculture and
Environmental Affairs
Cell: 082 415 7277
Issued by: Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs,
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
1 September 2007
Source: SAPA
