MEC for North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Rural Development, Mr Boitumelo Tshwene, encouraged farmers in the Greater Taung area to look after the agricultural equipments handed over to them by the department and avoid unnecessary conflicts amongst themselves. MEC Tshwene says by doing so, farmers will be contributing towards the realisation of the goals of the provincial poverty alleviation initiatives in rural areas.
The advice was issued during the recent hand over of agricultural mechanisation equipment and livestock handling facilities to agricultural projects in the villages of Maganeng, Mokasa and Taung in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District.
The Maganeng and Mokasa Veldt improvement projects aimed at improving veldt and livestock production through sustainable utilisation of resources, received water reticulation equipment, reservoirs and drinking troughs as well as the construction of fence and fire belts.
One of the anchors Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS) project for the Taung Integrated Development and Taung Irrigation scheme received pivots and irrigation equipment to revive and expand this project.
While acknowledging the department’s efforts to enhance agricultural production in the area, MEC Tshwene called on farmers to use the land at their disposal optimally, as this will also contribute towards the enhancement of the economy of Taung.
Furthermore, farmers’ prior learning programme was recognised when recipients of the machineries were awarded certificates of competency in different aspects of farming such as marketing, soil and water management, financial management and fertilisation.
Sipho Sibinda, Chairperson of the Ipelegeng Cooperative which is involved in crop farming was delighted when they received their mechanisation equipment of three tractors, planters and ploughs. He said this will ease their problems and assist them a lot in tilling their 10 ha of crop field and two ha of vegetable field.
During the current financial year, more than ten farming cooperatives and projects in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District became owners of brand new farming equipment and beneficiaries include amongst others Modimong Vegetables and Olives Cooperative from Heulingspan village, Naledi Food Plot from Manthe, Monthanthanyaneng Food Plot from Mothanthanyanenge village, Maganeng Beef Project under the Ba-Ga-Phuduhutswana Tribal Authority, Agisanyang Food Plot from Manokwana village and Khudutlou Food Plot from Khudutlou village.
