East Cape maize off to Vietnam
Emerging farmers benefit from R18.7m export deal
In a milestone for emerging black farmers from the Matatiele region, more than 8,000 tons of yellow maize will be exported to buyers in Vietnam.
The maize, which will be shipped from Durban next week, was produced and harvested by 14 co-operatives in the Alfred Nzo district.
The new export agreement is a result of the provincial department of rural development & agrarian reform’s partnership with the Grain Farmer Development Association, a nonprofit organisation that supports emerging black farmers and empowers them to become commercial farmers.
Speaking at the harbour, where the loading of the maize started on Thursday – to be shipped on Sunday – the department’s chief director for district co-ordination services, Hamilton Ntsabo, said the farmers expected to earn about R18.7m from the produce.
The maize will be sent to a Vietnamese agricultural marketing company, which will sell and distribute it.
A total of 8,658 tons were harvested from the 2,416 hectares used for the maize crops, while the department’s agreement with the grain association extends to assistance over 3,350 hectares of land in both the Alfred Nzo and Joe Gqabi districts.
Through the agreement, the department invested R10m in the farms’ mechanisation while the grain association was tasked with mentoring farmers and finding markets.
“Our department will continue working with [the farmer development association] to develop farmers for the next five years, and we are optimistic that this partnership will yield more results, such as contributing in transforming the agriculture sector and increasing the farm net income for these farmers,” Ntsabo said.While the farmers in the region had suffered in recent years due to floods and hail, they were now producing high-quality maize, he said.
“Sending this maize to foreign markets confirms that the agriculture economic transformation strategy we [the department] are implementing is the correct strategy and our method of investing our own money and partnering with commodity groups is the right approach,” Ntsabo said.
“To us as government this proves the positive results of transformative land reform programmes, when farmers are given proper support by government and the market buys crops from all farmers, including emerging farmers who are largely black.”
The department plans to produce more than 100,000 hectares of grain in the next five years, across the Joe Gqabi, Amathole, OR Tambo, Chris Hani and Alfred Nzo districts.
The association’s general manager, Ishmael Tshiame, said it would continue to empower emerging black farmers, particularly as many of them were beneficiaries of land reform programmes.
“Our main vision is to commercialise the black smallholder farmer to participate in the mainstream economy of the country,” Tshiame said.
“Most black farmers are not in a position to get production loans; most of them have come to farming from government programmes and then they must learn to farm.
“All of us have a responsibility in terms of inclusive transformation, and if you love your fellow human being, you would want to see them become successful.”
One of the farmers benefiting from the programme, Teboho Mongoato, said he was grateful for the assistance.
“We’ve produced grain that we’re able to share in the export market – that is history in the making,” Mongoato said.
“This has been a process, not [something] that was achieved all of a sudden.
“It took hard work, partnership and patience for human development. There is a need to develop a farmer before you can see the output.
“With a willing government led by visionary people, we see the results today.”
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