Bronkhorstspruit - Five women beamed with joy as the gigantic maize harvester foraged into the 45 hectare farm during harvest time at Ekangala in Bronkhorstspruit yesterday.
They are smallholder farmers running the Ekangala Primary Co-operative, which has benefited from agricultural women empowerment initiative, Women in Maize.
The initiative is a partnership between the Department of Small Business and South African Breweries (SAB). It was launched by Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu during the planting season in November last year.
Yesterday, Lindiwe Masilela, chairwoman of the co-operative, was visibly excited during an event to mark the first harvest, attended by Small Business Development director-general Edith Vries and officials from SAB, among others. The non-genetically modified maize was harvested on the co-operative’s farm. The women are expecting a yield of 180 tons and a profit of R115 000 this harvest.
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The maize will be supplied to SAB plants across the country.
Vries said the initiative would be run over the next five years with SAB and other key role players, including the Agricultural Research Council. It would empower 5 000 female farmers, and about R1 million had been ploughed into the Ekangala co-operative, she said.
“The harvest we are celebrating is the pilot phase that we rolled out in the few provinces including Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal,” said Vries, adding the partnership was out to debunk myths that co-operatives don’t work.
The government, she said, was delighted that the SAB had committed to sourcing more local products used in its breweries.
SAB executive director for corporate affairs and transformation Monwabisi Fandeso said: “By sourcing raw materials directly from farmers in South Africa, SAB is establishing local supply chains which help reduce costs, improve efficiencies, create jobs and ultimately, strengthen local economies.”
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He said the brewery had “up-weighted its investment in the local agricultural sector, with a particular focus on developing, through several support streams, emerging black farmers and women farmers”.
Masilela said it was hoped the initiative would reach other women who were passionate about farming.
@luyolomkentane
THE STAR