A range of community projects championed by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development are to be aired in December 2009 on South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC 2) leading agricultural television show; Agriculture Today, also known as Agri TV.
The show takes to the airwaves at 05h20 to 05h40 each morning of Monday to Friday. Agri TV’s crew will end their Northern Cape mission this Friday, 27 November 2009. Agri TV’s last sojourn of such magnitude was in past July. The projects that are being focused on for this week include among others:
* The Siyanda district’s Blocuso Trust which is part of the province’s wine development initiative that has enjoyed an investment of over R25 million to date. The initiative which is also supported by private partners is aimed at empowering the grape industry’s farm workers and beneficiaries of land reform projects by granting them ownership status in all phases of the distilling of wine and grape juice. The vines are expected to bear fruit in 2011.
* Windsorton’s Tshwaraganang Hydroponics, a project destined for continued success, supplies cucumbers to one of South Africa’s giant fresh produce wholesalers. This greenhouse enterprise has an output capacity is at 255 000 cucumbers per year. The department invested over R5 million through infrastructure and training, resulting in the guaranteeing of household incomes and food security.
The crew also captured an exclusive festive season and 2010 message from the department’s MEC Norman Shushu for the agricultural community. The interview with MEC will also be aired in December.
Enquiries:
Thabo Mothibi
Tel: 053 838 9135
Cell: 083 255 8840
Fax: 053 831 3635
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Northern Cape Provincial Government
26 November 2009
