DURBAN: KZN Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi has called on young people to lead and play a significant role in the agricultural sector.
She was speaking during the launch of River Valley farm which is a 10-hectare property in New Hanover under uMshwathi Local Municipality. The farm is a 100% black-owned farm and employs 60 permanent personnel.
Sithole-Moloi said that the current farmers are ageing, which necessitated the involvement of the youth.
“Young people have been trained and facilitated in modern and innovative agricultural methods. For us to increase agricultural productivity, it is critical to introduce young people with fresh knowledge and ideas,” she said.
Sithole-Moloi commended the River Valley Farm, which sells a large volume of fresh produce through pack houses who are supplying Pick n Pay and other retail stores.
The farm also supplies the eThekwini Fresh Produce Market, Pietermaritzburg Fresh Produce Market and local wholesalers and supermarkets.
In addition, the farm has been able to tap into international markets.
Sithole-Moloi announced that the department would also support 152 female farmer projects in the 2021/22 financial year. According to the department, the approximately R57.18 million would be used to support these female owned projects.
“Support is provided to both individually-owned and group-owned female farmer projects. The department supported 27 female farmer projects in the 2020/2021 financial year earmarked for future commercial production with a total investment of approximately R52.88m,” she said.
She said the department was also looking into increasing the Agribusiness Development Agency budget for funding women-owned projects from R40m this year, to R85m next year.
Sithole-Moloi added that she had ordered that 50% of all agricultural projects funded by the department be allocated to women beneficiaries.
She called on all women to begin to organise themselves into business niches that cater for each need in the value chain.
THE MERCURY