This special occasion will serve as an official hand over to Honourable MEC Mbulelo Sogoni as well as farewell function for Honourable Nkwinti and welcoming gesture for Honourable Sogoni. The event will also serve as the hand over of the five year report for the department, which will highlight achievements of the department between 2004 and 2009.
Paying tributes to the former MEC, MEC Sogoni said Minister Nkwinti has left him with an organisation that gives hope to the people of Eastern Cape and he would like to tell Nkwinti that he undertakes to fly the flag even higher. During his tenure as the MEC, Honourable Nkwinti introduced the Green Revolution Strategy (GRS) which is underpinned by the Six Pegs Policy (SPP).
Through this strategy the department has been able to organise and mobilise communities through programmes like Siyazondla Homestead Gardens, Siyakhula and Massive Food Production Programme. In the Siyazondla, which focus on the home gardens with special reference to the women at least 40 264 beneficiaries have been covered since the launch of the Green Revolution Strategy in the Mbashe area in 2005.
In the Siyakhula/Massive Food Programme, which is a step up program designed to introduce farmers graduating from the Siyazondla Homestead Food Production into commercial production, the department invested over R325 million that benefited 1,458,848 individuals and farmers.
The Six Pegs Policy ensured that the department provided farmers and communities with fencing of arable and grazing land, provision of tractors and implements, revival and erection of irrigation system, erection of stock water dams, reviving and building of dipping tanks as well as human capacitation.
In the infrastructure development, which is key on the Six Pegs Policy, the department invested more than R415 million.
Fencing of arable land covered 12 750 hectares and this coverts to 51 000 tons of maize valued at R205 million while provision of dipping tanks and stock water dams improves the condition of animal health with at least 20% and shearing shed provisions increased the value of wool from R3 per kg to R15 per kg.
By using own tractors instead of contract mechanisation the community saves 33% of the current rate of contractors at R2 100 per hectare and this implies that for the 71 tractors that were handed, out each tractor saves the community R693 per hectare.
Each tractor cultivates on average 200 hectares, meaning the capacity of the province to cultivate land has been increased to 14 200 hectares and the saving on contract mechanisation was R9,4 million.
The introduction of the resuscitation of the irrigation schemes in a bid to attract external investment has resulted into 2 205 hectares of high crop being developed with a net income of R27,56 million.
In improving the genetic quality of both the herd and flock in the communal farming areas, the department distributed 300 bulls and about 7 000 rams. The department has also done outstanding performance in the control of Avian flu, classical swine fever, foot and mouth diseases and African horse sickness diseases that were a threat to the export industry of the province.
Details of the event:
Date: 29 May 2009
Venue: Bhisho Stadium
Time: 10h00
Please note: members of the media will afforded interviews with both the MEC and Minister at their VIP holding room.
For enquiries information contact:
Senior Manager Communications
Ms Y Matsheketwa
Cell: 078 218 7370
Issued by: Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
26 May 2009
