celebration
8 April 2009
The MEC for Agriculture Gugile Nkwinti spent the last two days, Monday and
Tuesday not only celebrating the achievements but delivering other necessary
resources to enhance their farming abilities.
Since last month the MEC has been bidding his farewell to farmers in a slick
way, from delivering about 37 tractors accompanied by implements to handing
over of harvesters as well as delivering of the Siyazondla kit (gardening
tools, seeds and seedlings).
The MECâs journey this week started with the delivery of four tractors, 30
water tanks, and 30 Siyazondla kits that included spades, forks, seedlings,
seeds and rakes as well as a bull and a fence to the Makana community at an
event held a Kenton-on-Sea on Monday.
Addressing farmers at Kenton-on-Sea, Nkwinti said since the introduction of
Siyazondla, which is encouraging homestead gardens, he has been told the
programme has reduced conflicts brought before traditional leaders. He added
that hunger caused conflicts among people and Siyazondla was feeling that gap
by ensuring people are given tools to till their lands.
The MEC urged farmers to work collectively through cooperatives, farmers
union or other organised structured to avoid conflicts over the tools and
tractors delivered, added that if people were not using them, theyâll lose
them. The MECâs next stop was at Ndonga village in Lady Frere, where he
officially handed over a multi-purpose shearing shed, a tractor as well as
launching of a 2 000 hectors sorghum belt project.
The Lady Frere area has been identified as a sorghum hub and the Agriculture
Department working with Emalahleni Municipality and National Development Agency
aims to ensure the communities go back to their fields and produce this crop,
which was hailed as one of the âheritagesâ of the Chris Hani District.
The area is also vast with livestock improvement, especially sheep where the
department through its partnership with the National Wool Growers Association
provides top of the range sheep in a bid to improve rural communities.
The MEC announced that the department has decided to identify 38 projects
from each of the provinceâs municipalities and it will put special
concentration on them, so that by the end of the 09/10 financial year they
become fully fledged.
Nkwinti said these projects will have to be big and be part of the
municipalitiesâ Intergrated Development Plan (IDPs), adding that the department
will work with the municipalities and other stakeholders to identify and
develop them.
For more information contact:
Thozi Manyisana
Cell: 073 263 3754
Issued by: Eastern Cape Provincial Government
8 April 2009
