Lusikisiki villagers reaped the rewards of their hard work yesterday when 3000 tons of red maize was harvested.
The project, jointly funded by government’s jobs fund and Anglo American, saw about 490 direct jobs created and 900 hectares of land cultivated last year.
The maize harvested from the project has been sold to some of the major South African retail stores.
This means that Fundrite, the company owned by local land owners, has been able to earn sustainable income.
Yesterday, Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana, premier Phumulo Masualle, rural development and agrarian reform MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane, Anglo American South Africa executive head Andile Sangqu and Kellogg’s supply chain director Zama Zamisa attended the harvesting in Lambasi village.
Zokwana said he was happy that government funding had not gone down the drain but had changed people’s lives.
The project is a welcome development in the remote village with high unemployment.
Kellogg’s, which funded the farmer training, is now buying maize from the project to produce their products.
Zamisa said they were looking to expand the relationship they had with the project and cultivate more than 20000 hectares of maize.
Kellogg’s provided training for the rural farmers on how to prepare the ground, nurture the crops, harvest and produce the right quality of crops usable in the market, Zamisa said.
“Our future plan for this project and many other to come is for them to become part of the key-sourcing model going forward,” Zamisa said.
Sangqu said they had decided to join the project because they wanted the employees’ families in the OR Tambo region to have access to economic opportunities.
Participating farmer Nolusapho Mfundisi said she was happy to be part of the project as it had liberated her from poverty and unemployment.
“This project improved my life because I am a confident farmer. I like producing maize because it is part of my heritage,” she said.
Qoboshiyane said through the project, government, communities and the private sector had revived maize production in fields that had been fallow since the 1980s.
“This programme is improving the lives of our people and reviving the rural economy,” he said.
The premier said he was happy to see the partnership between government, the private sector and communities yield such positive results. — DDR
Hard work pays off for EC villagers
The project, jointly funded by government’s jobs fund and Anglo American, saw about 490 direct jobs created and 900 hectares of land cultivated last year.
The maize harvested from the project has been sold to some of the major South African retail stores.
This means that Fundrite, the company owned by local land owners, has been able to earn sustainable income.
Yesterday, Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana, premier Phumulo Masualle, rural development and agrarian reform MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane, Anglo American South Africa executive head Andile Sangqu and Kellogg’s supply chain director Zama Zamisa attended the harvesting in Lambasi village.
Zokwana said he was happy that government funding had not gone down the drain but had changed people’s lives.
The project is a welcome development in the remote village with high unemployment.
Kellogg’s, which funded the farmer training, is now buying maize from the project to produce their products.
Zamisa said they were looking to expand the relationship they had with the project and cultivate more than 20000 hectares of maize.
Kellogg’s provided training for the rural farmers on how to prepare the ground, nurture the crops, harvest and produce the right quality of crops usable in the market, Zamisa said.
“Our future plan for this project and many other to come is for them to become part of the key-sourcing model going forward,” Zamisa said.
Sangqu said they had decided to join the project because they wanted the employees’ families in the OR Tambo region to have access to economic opportunities.
Participating farmer Nolusapho Mfundisi said she was happy to be part of the project as it had liberated her from poverty and unemployment.
“This project improved my life because I am a confident farmer. I like producing maize because it is part of my heritage,” she said.
Qoboshiyane said through the project, government, communities and the private sector had revived maize production in fields that had been fallow since the 1980s.
“This programme is improving the lives of our people and reviving the rural economy,” he said.
The premier said he was happy to see the partnership between government, the private sector and communities yield such positive results. — DDR
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