The Northern Cape’s multi million rand Rooibos tea project is set to be launched by the Minister for Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson, Premier of the Northern Cape Province, Ms Hazel Jenkins and the MEC for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Mr Norman Shushu on Sunday, 8 May 2011 at Nieuwoudtville near Calvinia in the Hantam District.
Government has invested an amount to the tune of R160 million towards the project. The launch highlight the significance of Rooibos tea processing and packaging in the province and how Historically Disadvantaged Individual (HDI) Commercial farmers and Non – HDI commercial farmers can use the tea to improve their living conditions.
The uniqueness of Rooibos tea project in this area has warranted an exploration of opportunities for a resource based economic development through local beneficiation which can unlock other socio economic activities in the area. The project is aimed at uplifting living standards and creating numerous job opportunities and prosperity for all. As part of the capacity building and research in the industry, there are plans to establish a ‘Rooibos Center of Excellence’ for research and training centre in the processing plant to support the Rooibos industry as a whole.
The main objective of the project is to empower emerging Rooibos tea producers through increased production, and participation in the entire value chain, development of new niche markets and improved production through better support structures. It also seeks to build community development and social responsibility, expansion of the current tea plantations and infrastructure and forward linkages for producers in the value chain.
The new Rooibos tea facility will have the capacity to produce 3 000 tons of tea annually, and the final product is for local and international markets.
Members of the Media are invited to the launch and details are as follows:
Date: 8 May 2011
Time: 09h00
Venue: Nieuwoudtville Sportsground
For accreditation and enquiries please do call:
Phemelo Manankong
Tel: 053 839 7881
Cell: 071 889 5112
Enquiries:
Phemelo Manankong (External Communication Officer)
Tel: 053 839 7861 /2
Cell: 071 889 5112 /072 215 7848
E-mail: pmanankong@ncpg.gov.za
Editor's notes:
The Rooibos tea project is an initiative of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development together with the Rooibos tea producers in Nieuwoudville and Suid-Bokkeveld area of the Hantam District.
The Rooibos tea project is a development of nature and aims to address four of the five targets of the Land and Agrarian Reform Programme including the upliftment of emerging farmers.
The tea is an indigenous endemic plant to South Africa which occurs only in the Northern and Western Cape provinces. In the Northern Cape it only grows in the Nieuwoudtville and Suid-Bokkeveld area. The plant is shredded, fermented and dried in order to produce a sought after and high value normal tea.
In 1996 the department invested about R4,45 million in the area in order to upgrade the infrastructure for HDI farmers in the Suid-Bokkeveld. Through these interventions by the department, the HDI Farmers have graduated to fully fledge commercial farmers and their Rooibos tea production has increased from approximately 10 tons in 1996 to approximately 300 tons of dried tea during 2008/09.
The primary aim of the project will centre on economic growth and empowerment through the development of a Rooibos Industry for the Northern Cape.
Source: Northern Cape Agriculture Land Reform and Rural Development
