KwaZulu-Natal’s black emerging farmers are set to benefit enormously from the Agri-FoodBank partnership which is geared towards assisting subsistence local farmers gain access to the markets. These farmers struggle to access and compete in the market and make a profitable income that can sustain their livelihoods.
The landmark partnership between the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development (DAE&RD) and FoodBank South Africa (FBSA) was officially launched today, 15 March 2011 at Ovumaneni Sports Grounds, KwaJoni in Ugu Municipality.
FBSA is a non-governmental organisation that has a national footprint – with food bank hubs in Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town, satellite food banks in Port Elizabeth, Pietermaritzburg, Tshwane and George, and community depots throughout the Western Cape. FBSA has a vision of a South Africa without hunger and malnutrition. As the government department responsible for food security, the DAE&RD welcomes the collaboration with FBSA.
The agricultural food bank is being established to provide food security to many vulnerable people in the province, and to create a pro-small farmer supply chain that generates wealth and creates jobs in rural areas.
The pilot project will span three years. It will mentor between 250 and 450 small-scale farmers, create 1000 permanent jobs and develop initially 400 hectares of agricultural land. In addition, a food bank will be established to facilitate the sale of the small farmers’ produce on the open market and the procurement of their produce by the food bank.The food bank will supply food to about 350 community-based organisations that collectively serve approximately 6000 food insecure people a month.
The project, which will cost approximately R70 million in total, is a collaboration between the department and leading non-profit companies FoodBank South Africa (FBSA) and Technoserve South Africa (TNS SA).
The other implementing partner in the agricultural food bank is TNS SA, an international non-profit development organisation that specialises in developing entrepreneurs, particularly small holder farmers, and linking them to sustainable value chains.
TNS SA will give farmers access to resident business advisors and mentors as well as ongoing business development services and support. In collaboration with government, TNS SA will provide input and mechanisation support, infrastructure rehabilitation, and links to public sector as well as commercial food markets, all of which will create an enabling environment for farmer development and improved business performance.
The partnership between the department and these nonprofit companies is a perfect opportunity to highlight the sterling efforts that have been made in the mobilisation of the province’s small-scale farmers to fight poverty.
The partnership will kick start in the following two sites:
- Makhatini Flats in Jozini
- Ugu/Vulamehlo farmers
These areas have been chosen for this three-year programme. Both locations are in areas declared as Presidential Poverty Nodes which have high levels of unemployment and limited economic activities. However some of the natural endowments in the two areas indicate potential for agricultural activity which can be undertaken by small holder farmers.
Jozini has the Pongolapoort Dam, the second largest in the country by volume, and also the Makhathini Flats Irrigation Scheme which has close on 18,000 hectares of serviced irrigation land. Vulamehlo has available land and water but not in the form of a large formal irrigation scheme as in Makhathini.
KZN MEC for Agriculture Environmental Affairs and Rural Development, Mrs Lydia Johnson, proudly thanked FBSA for its contribution in the war against poverty. “We welcome the opportunity to promote agricultural growth which will lead to the empowerment of small-scale farmers and allow them to participate in more profitable markets,” said Johnson.
FBSA’s acting managing director Alan Gilbertson said FBSA was excited to be rolling out food banks in rural areas where hunger and poverty is severe. “The Agri-FoodBank will enable us to feed hungry people in rural areas while at the same time helping to develop small farmer, increase agricultural food production and create new markets for food.”
Earl Sampson, the country director of Techno Serve South Africa, said: “A sustained intervention programme that addresses small scale farmer capacity building and support, production input facilitation, market linkages and infrastructure rehabilitation will provide a solid foundation for small scale farmer development, productivity and food security.”
Farmers have also expressed their support for the venture, which will establish them in the agribusiness sector.
For more information about FoodBank, please contact:
Angelique Ardé
Tel: 021 531 5670
Cell: 076 552 6236
E-mail: angelique@foodbank.org.za
For more information about TechnoServe South Africa, please contact:
Earl Sampson
Country director, TechnoServe South Africa
Tel: 011 482 6005
E-mail: esampson@tns.org
For all your queries contact:
Ncumisa Mafunda
Media Liaison Officer (DAE & RD Ministry)
Tel: 033 343 8063
Fax: 033 343 8255
Switchboard: 033 343 8240
Cell: 079 515 7187
