What started out as a small project to help struggling subsistence farmers in Inanda has grown into a big, commercial organic food enterprise, with one farmer now supplying major retailers.
Thanks to the initiative, the lives of some farmers on Durban’s fringes, including some who used to be impoverished mothers, have changed for the better.
In 2005, the Mount Edgecombe Rotary formed the Rotary Community Corps (RCC) in nearby Inanda, inviting community leaders to become part of it.
RCC members have received training, helping them to improve their organic crops through the correct production of compost and choice of seasonal vegetables. They also received marketing assistance.
Mount Edgecombe club member, Les Hutton, has been a driving force behind the project.
Mbali Ismail, one of the first to join the community corp, started working with Hutton a decade ago. Today she is the RCC president.
When the neighbouring farmers saw the quality produce growing on Ismail’s fertile land, they soon got involved and eventually formed a co-operative farm selling their vegetables to a willing market.
Hutton said they realised early on that farmers were not growing the right vegetables for the market.
“A lot of the vegetables were actually going to waste,” he said.
Demands
However, this changed, with the farmers adapting to market demands, and by 2013, the farm sold one million bunches of spinach and 250 000 cabbages to Massmart and other retailers.
Hutton continued: “The RCC established that agribusiness was the primary pursuit of people living in the Inanda area. The RCC initiative helps develop these small farmers so that they can operate commercially. They are able to grow affordable, popular crops for the bigger market, as well as for the community.”
He said the farmers were predominantly women, many of whom had been poor, but who were now earning a decent living which allowed them to provide for their families.
“The change in their lives has been amazing. Some of them now have transport, are selling marketable goods and think as business people. They have aspirations and self-esteem.”
Talking to the Daily News from her farm in Inanda, Ismail said all the farmers who worked on the 12 hectare land were happy with the progress.
“We are seeing the difference in our lives. Our finances are growing steadily every year.”
The farmers work together to ensure the staggered crops are of the best quality. They all help each other with the planting and harvesting.
“We’ve learnt to farm bigger and produce quality vegetables. We also now have an irrigation system.”
She said the quality produce was good because they were always on hand, checking the crops and quickly picked up on problems.
The farms have made such an impact that agricultural students from technikons spend three to six month internships, learning best farming methods.
“We want to expand to about 30 to 40ha and our main objective is to start tunnel farming, when we have funds.”
The project has proved such a success that Hutton was asked by Rotary District 9370 to become chairman of the Rotary RCC Development.
Presentations were made to other Rotary branches about the initiative.
The interest grew and other KwaZulu-Natal Rotaries became part of the programme.
“Instead of sourcing and training beginner farmers, which is very costly, we started identifying farmers who showed commitment through hard work, but lacked resources to get to market, and we decided to support those who qualified.”
Rotary established a seedling trial programme to those identified, enabling them to prove their worth to the organisation by producing quality vegetables.
The eThekwini Municipality invited the RCC to participate to help small farmers and joint research identified nine anchor farms on Durban’s outskirts which will benefit from the project.
Satellite farms in the area would also benefit as their produce would be sold with that of the anchor farms.
The Rotary Club of uMhlanga approached a number of international Rotary branches, including those in the US and Holland, and they have become involved, raising R300 000, which will go towards irrigation.
Besides providing seedlings, Rotary helps farmers with the fundamental step of putting them in touch with a buying market, including an “Adopt a Farm” project.
Companies such as Tsogo Sun (owner of the Elangeni and Maharani hotels), have indicated they intend to adopt a farm.
“They receive BEE points and, by putting money into the farm, it forms part of the corporate social initiative,” said Hutton.
To further improve the sustainability of these farms, Rotary is working with the municipality on a long-term project that envisions an “Inanda Meander”.
This will promote tourism in the region, encouraging people to visit the farms and sample the food while also participating in outdoor activities.
As well as his role within Rotary, Hutton started the business, Organic Farms Group, which uses the organically-grown vegetables to create ready-made, healthy option meals sold through health shops and direct delivery.
Customers will soon be able to collect fresh, seasonal vegetables and meals at selected Spar shops.
Hutton said the produce had to be of the highest quality to keep customers.
“There is a big movement towards organic, healthy food and we are creating sustainable jobs.”
* For more information contact Hutton at 082 651 1111 or e-mail [email protected]