Two Eastern Cape women farmers emerged victorious at the Female Entrepreneur of the Year awards in Limpopo.
Philiswa Fadana of Woodbury, located between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown, won the minister’s special award as the best performing female farmer living with disabilities.
Fadana cannot speak clearly as a result of a car accident in 2009. She acquired her farm in 2011 but her disability did not stop her from starting a red meat abattoir.
She currently holds the province’s top producer award in the smallholder category.
Another Eastern Cape farmer, Jenecia Janse of Oudrift in the Cacadu District, walked away with the award for the top producer in the export category and overall winner.
Janse pocketed R250000 plus a tablet for her category win and R500000 as the overall winner.
Fadana walked away with R100000 plus a computer tablet for her win.
Janse, who was featured in the Daily Dispatch yesterday, also holds the award for the top Eastern Cape producer for export.
Eastern Cape rural development and agrarian reform MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane congratulated both women for their respective awards.
He said their achievements showed women’s abilities and capabilities were not limited.
“The success of both Philiswa Fadana and Jenecia Janse is a solid testament of the positive results of the ANC’s land reform policy that affirms women as competent farmers alongside their male counterparts,” Qoboshiyane said.
“Our agriculture economic transformation strategy is anchored on advancing working agriculture businesses, like the ones owned by Fadana and Janse, through partnerships and hands-on support resulting into off-take agreements for producers to grow their businesses.”
Fadana’s daughter, Qhawekazi, said she was proud of her mother and what she had accomplished.
“I think it’s difficult when you are disabled and you are doing incredibly labour-intensive work. Even for me as her child the hard work she puts in on the farm, is encouraging,” Qhawekazi said.
“I know that she wants to inspire people to know that they are able to do anything they put their mind to.
“This industry is incredibly dominated by males and for women to make it this far is an achievement.
“Being a women and disabled, takes it to another level. It’s just incredible,” Qhawekazi added.
Janse produces fruit for domestic and international markets on her farm.
“In the future I will do my best to develop young women to be farmers, motivate them because it is best that we develop them now so that when we go, there are young people to continue with this work,” said Janse, adding that she would use her winning prize money to buy implements such as tractors, sprayers and seedlings.
Janse’s 304ha produces 434 tons of top red apples, 521 tons of Granny Smith apples, 57 tons of forelle pears – 60% of which is exported and the rest sold to the local market. — siyab@dispatch.co.za
EC women farmers receive top honours
Philiswa Fadana of Woodbury, located between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown, won the minister’s special award as the best performing female farmer living with disabilities.
Fadana cannot speak clearly as a result of a car accident in 2009. She acquired her farm in 2011 but her disability did not stop her from starting a red meat abattoir.
She currently holds the province’s top producer award in the smallholder category.
Another Eastern Cape farmer, Jenecia Janse of Oudrift in the Cacadu District, walked away with the award for the top producer in the export category and overall winner.
Janse pocketed R250000 plus a tablet for her category win and R500000 as the overall winner.
Fadana walked away with R100000 plus a computer tablet for her win.
Janse, who was featured in the Daily Dispatch yesterday, also holds the award for the top Eastern Cape producer for export.
Eastern Cape rural development and agrarian reform MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane congratulated both women for their respective awards.
He said their achievements showed women’s abilities and capabilities were not limited.
“The success of both Philiswa Fadana and Jenecia Janse is a solid testament of the positive results of the ANC’s land reform policy that affirms women as competent farmers alongside their male counterparts,” Qoboshiyane said.
“Our agriculture economic transformation strategy is anchored on advancing working agriculture businesses, like the ones owned by Fadana and Janse, through partnerships and hands-on support resulting into off-take agreements for producers to grow their businesses.”
Fadana’s daughter, Qhawekazi, said she was proud of her mother and what she had accomplished.
“I think it’s difficult when you are disabled and you are doing incredibly labour-intensive work. Even for me as her child the hard work she puts in on the farm, is encouraging,” Qhawekazi said.
“I know that she wants to inspire people to know that they are able to do anything they put their mind to.
“This industry is incredibly dominated by males and for women to make it this far is an achievement.
“Being a women and disabled, takes it to another level. It’s just incredible,” Qhawekazi added.
Janse produces fruit for domestic and international markets on her farm.
“In the future I will do my best to develop young women to be farmers, motivate them because it is best that we develop them now so that when we go, there are young people to continue with this work,” said Janse, adding that she would use her winning prize money to buy implements such as tractors, sprayers and seedlings.
Janse’s 304ha produces 434 tons of top red apples, 521 tons of Granny Smith apples, 57 tons of forelle pears – 60% of which is exported and the rest sold to the local market. — siyab@dispatch.co.za
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