Elderly farmers sing praises of youth
Elderly farmers at Bell Village in Ngqushwa have confidence in their youth that it will take the wool production business to high heights and improve the income of the Bell Woolgrowers Association which was handed over a R1,1 million worth shearing shed with equipment by the Eastern Cape MEC for Rural Development and Rural Development (DRDAR) Nonqkubela Pieters.
Association Chairperson Thembekile Mcoseli was full of praises about the youth when he was thanking the department for the investment, which will ensure that they wool quality and quantity as well as income is improved when they sell at BKB in Port Elizabeth.
“We promise to preserve this structure, when you come back here the shed will still be in a good condition and it will improve our income. “I trust the youth here, they have pride and when they are doing something they are determined. They would never let this investment become a white elephant instead they will use it to develop themselves. You can see when they are shearing, sorting and doing other activities at the shed that they are doing it with zeal and resilience,” Mcoseli said.
He said the community built a rondavel shearing shed in 1982 and government provided the roof before they applied for the state of the art shearing shed with equipment. “We come from far, we applied for shed and after five years our application was passed. We thank the government very much for this structure and this year will increase the 21 bales we produced last year,” he added.
MEC Pieters said the shearing shed, which has all the required equipment should improve the income of the farmers because the wool will not be contaminated hence the quality is guaranteed. “With this shearing shed I am handing over today, we want to ensure that when the farmers are shearing their wool, it does not become contaminated. It has every equipment that is supposed to be used in a shearing shed, they will be able to properly sort and bale their wool so that when it arrives in the market at BKB in Port Elizabeth it is classed accordingly,” she said.
The MEC said department’s implementing agency Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency was providing training to the wool growers, adding that the department was providing quality livestock to improve the flock of the farmers as part of the livestock development programmes. “You cannot compete with low quality livestock because the market want high quality hence we are assisting farmers with quality breed livestock so that they also venture to export markets.
The Department closed the youth month in style, especially when hearing about the commitment of youth in growing and preserving the wool sector and the infrastructure investment by DRDAR. She urged farmers, especially the youth to “respect business funds as the business will not prosper if monies are used carelessly. You are not doing this for fun or for family legacy but you are in a business that should make you income. “On the issue of theft, government cannot guard the sheds hence other farmers sleep in the sheds during the shearing seasons. When you have business you sacrifice because you are guarding your wealth,” she said.
During shearing season, about eight shearers are temporarily hired by the association and about eight jobs for five men and three women were created during the construction of the shearing shed. The shed is part the of 20 shearing sheds that were constructed by DRDAR in Alfred Nzo, Amathole, OR Tambo, Chris Hani, Joe Gqabi and Sarah Baartman districts in the 2022/23 financial year.
A budget of R24. 4 million has been set aside in 2023/24 financial year to construct 17 shearing and multipurpose sheds, including the renovation of two shearing sheds and the provision of shearing equipment for four sheds in OR Tambo, Joe Gqabi, Chris Hani, Alfred Nzo, Amathole and Sarah Baartman District Municipalities.
For more information please contact:
Mr Thozi Manyisana
Cell: 082 494 3600
