With ten provincial female farmer competition overall winners who were over the past years recognised for their contribution in fighting poverty and creating employment through their agricultural aspiration, the Department of Agriculture wants to increase these farmers’ exposure which is derived from participating in this competition. This goal is achieved through the programme which was initiated by the National Department of Agriculture in 1999. Ten years later, the programme is still worthwhile and growing even bigger.
The main objective of the Female Farmer of the Year Awards is to reward and recognise the contribution and efforts made by women in the agricultural industry that was previously dominated by men. To praise and encourage women’s reasonable involvement in this industry, the department initiated this programme which attracts the attention and admiration of female farmers and affords them the platform through which their success in agriculture is demonstrated.
This programme also highlights the need to promote agriculture, particularly food security.
The competition is held every year in partnership with private sponsors, where eligible agricultural projects compete for the coveted prize both provincially and nationally. An agricultural project owned by a female farmer or a group with at least 90% female representation, with potential to grow, qualifies to enter for the competition. Farmers must submit their project profiles which will be scrutinised by a team of adjudicators. In selecting qualifying projects for entry, adjudicators who comprise of competition sponsors, agribusiness and municipality representatives amongst others, look for farmers whom without direct assistance from the department, managed to successfully pull through to the higher echelons in the farming sector.
In doing so, the farmers must demonstrate innovation and excellent farming method applications, creation of jobs and notable selling (if it is a business project) of their products to various markets. Through stringent application of the competition rules, final nominees are confirmed after a direct or physical assessment of all projects has been conducted.
Nominees will be judged and winners rewarded during the provincial event with one of them being chosen the Provincial Female Farmer of the year. All category winners will ultimately represent the province during the national competition event.
The categories in which projects are entered for are:
1. Top Producer for Export Markets: a farmer must produce for export markets (must distribute across provincial and national boundaries and must present a documentary proof).
2. Top Producer for National Markets: a farmer’s product must be distributed across provincial boundaries or traded at nationally recognised outlets.
3. Top Producer for Informal Markets: a farmer produce to sell to their local communities and be economically productive.
4. Top Producer for Household Markets: Backyard gardens a farmer must produce a garden which is not more than one ha, enough to meet their immediate food security needs.
5. Top Producer for Household Markets: Communal gardens a garden must be owned by a group of women and they must donate at least 10% of their produce to the local community (social responsibility)
During the past ten years, about seven provincial female farmers won their respective categories at National level.
One of them is Ms Nancy Rakatoa who owns Faranani Nursery in the Bojanala District. Rakatoa has been supplying private and commercial nurseries in and around Rustenburg, Brits and other parts of Gauteng province with well produced plants.
Ms Rodene Lambrecht a crocodile breeder in Haartebeesfontein near Tigane in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District owns more than 2 000 crocodiles. The crocodiles’ skin is exported annually to international countries like Singapore.
Just last year (2008), Ms Tlamelo Mfaladi a youth operating a vegetable project in Lomanyaneng outside Mafikeng, made the province very proud when she went on to collect the seventh national award for the North West province, in the Informal Market Category.
The North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Rural Development calls on all female farmers in the province to submit applications for entry, and must liaise with their respective district coordinators. The closing date for submission of entries is 30 June 2009.
Issued by: Department Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, North West Provincial Government
19 May 2009
