DRDAR MEC will use the agriculture sector imbizo to handover a tractor, garden implements and seedlings to King Matiwane
Eastern Cape MEC for the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform MEC Nonkqubela Pieters will used the agriculture sector Imbizo in Mhlontlo Local Municipality at the AmaMpondomise Kingdom to provide the King with a tractor with its implements, garden tools and seedlings.
The delivery is the fulfillment of a commitment made by the MEC during her visit to the Kingdom in a bid to ensure the King has tools to assist his community to practice agriculture.
The Imbizo will also see the MEC unpacking the deliverables by the department in the Municipality and there will also be services on wheels that include vaccinations, castrations and general animal health education.
The Municipality is leading in cattle numbers and the second largest populated area with sheep in OR Tambo Municipality, hence DRDAR has investment immensely in livestock stock improve programme.
To enhance commercialization of agriculture in the District Municipality, livestock commodity has been prioritized, as supported by Agriculture and Agro processing Master Plan (AAMP 2022).
In 2021/22 financial year, DDRDAR spent R6 million for sheep and R8 million for cattle under its Livestock Improvement Scheme across the province.
The District farming community was assisted with 305 sheep and 55 cattle at a cost of R3 million and 1, 3 million respectively.
Mhlontlo Farmer received 121 sheep and 36 cattle worth R1,3 million – this aimed to improve both wool and meat from communal sheep and cattle in the area.
To boost productivity from wool sheep farming, between year 2018 and 2022, DRDAR constructed ten (10) shearing sheds - 5 in Tsolo and 5 in Qumbu at a cost of R10,9 million.
For further support on livestock development in the Municipality, 9 stock dams at a cost of R5 494 373 were repaired and desilted, 7 diptanks were renovated with R900 000, four (4) boreholes R1 585 048 were constructed and a feedlot at Mthozela location was built and supported with feed at a cost of R2 193 624.
On crop production, from 2018/2019 to 2021/2022 financial DRDAR supported farming community with more than R20 million investment that covered 4578 ha of land.
In the last 4 years, DRDAR further supported crop producing farmers by fencing off 94km of their grain fields at a cost of R4 093 866 in 13 villages.
In the household food security programme a total of 3 600 households were supported in the past 4 years with vegetable production inputs including seedlings, fertilizer and chemicals as a cost of R7, 2 million.
As part of supporting rural enterprises, 11 industrial machines were delivered in last financial year while an industrial site for packaging of bottled juice at ward 6 has been completed.
Members of the media are invited to attend this event where the MEC will also be engaging with stakeholders.
Details of the event:
Venue: AmaMpondomise Kingdom, Qumbu
Date: 05 September 2023
Time: 10:30 am
For more information please contact:
Mr Thozi Manyisana
Cell: 082 494 3600
