In a bid to defeat poverty in rural areas of the Eastern Cape, the rural development and agrarian reform department is planning to plough 42500 hectares of land in the 2015-16 financial year.
This would be a significant increase over the 2014-15 financial year, in which only 17503ha were ploughed.
Rural development MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane yesterday revealed that his department would in the new financial year allocate R145.3-million towards these projects, with an anticipated yield of 170000 tons of maize.
He said some of the maize produced would be sold for processing at the milling plant in Mqanduli, or alternatively stored in silos built by the department for future sales and local consumption. Qoboshiyane was yesterday delivering his department’s policy speech at the Bhisho legislature where he announced the department would spearhead rural development projects which focus on youth and women empowerment.
Qoboshiyane said of the department’s total budget of R1.97-billion, about R899.4-million had been set aside for service delivery programmes.
He said the province was best suited for cropping, saying that in the Alfred Nzo district, he would allocate R30.7-million to plough 9600ha of land for maize.
He said the OR Tambo district would be allocated R32.2-million to plough 11000ha of land where maize would also be planted.
“Though Amathole district and Sarah Baartman are also crop-producing areas, they are the citrus and deciduous fruit hubs in the province.
“Hence the department will support smallholder citrus growers with a R4-million budget in the 2015-16 financial year,” said Qoboshiyane.
He said his department would also provide infrastructure support to revitalise the aging Ripplemead Citrus packhouse in Peddie with R9.2-million and another R8-million to help farmers with production and orchard upgrades.
The MEC said his department would support 120 citrus farmers with production inputs and create an estimated 162 permanent and 1041 seasonal jobs.
“This support will enable Ripplemead to trade directly with the European Union as against the current scenario where they have to struggle accessing international markets”.
He said consolidation of pineapple production initiatives in Ngqushwa would receive an allocation of R4-million while tomato production in Buffalo City Metro would be supported with a R5.3-million budget, a project to create more than 100 jobs.
Qoboshiyane also revealed that his department had spent in excess of R55-million to improve productivity in provincial irrigation schemes, thereby stimulating their local economic activities.
Qoboshiyane said lack of governance, poor financial management and lack of technical expertise to run a tea estate were the reasons Magwa and Majola tea estates in Lusikisiki nearly collapsed. They have been rescued by a government bailout.
He announced a turnaround plan for the two estates was on the cards, saying despite these challenges, they had the potential of being the economic hubs and employment centres in the eastern half of the province.
He revealed that interim funding for the turnaround plan was estimated at R45.8-million for Magwa and R20.2-million for Majola tea estate. “The government departments involved are working on the sourcing of this amount,” Qoboshiyane said. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
New drive to combat poverty
This would be a significant increase over the 2014-15 financial year, in which only 17503ha were ploughed.
Rural development MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane yesterday revealed that his department would in the new financial year allocate R145.3-million towards these projects, with an anticipated yield of 170000 tons of maize.
He said some of the maize produced would be sold for processing at the milling plant in Mqanduli, or alternatively stored in silos built by the department for future sales and local consumption. Qoboshiyane was yesterday delivering his department’s policy speech at the Bhisho legislature where he announced the department would spearhead rural development projects which focus on youth and women empowerment.
Qoboshiyane said of the department’s total budget of R1.97-billion, about R899.4-million had been set aside for service delivery programmes.
He said the province was best suited for cropping, saying that in the Alfred Nzo district, he would allocate R30.7-million to plough 9600ha of land for maize.
He said the OR Tambo district would be allocated R32.2-million to plough 11000ha of land where maize would also be planted.
“Though Amathole district and Sarah Baartman are also crop-producing areas, they are the citrus and deciduous fruit hubs in the province.
“Hence the department will support smallholder citrus growers with a R4-million budget in the 2015-16 financial year,” said Qoboshiyane.
He said his department would also provide infrastructure support to revitalise the aging Ripplemead Citrus packhouse in Peddie with R9.2-million and another R8-million to help farmers with production and orchard upgrades.
The MEC said his department would support 120 citrus farmers with production inputs and create an estimated 162 permanent and 1041 seasonal jobs.
“This support will enable Ripplemead to trade directly with the European Union as against the current scenario where they have to struggle accessing international markets”.
He said consolidation of pineapple production initiatives in Ngqushwa would receive an allocation of R4-million while tomato production in Buffalo City Metro would be supported with a R5.3-million budget, a project to create more than 100 jobs.
Qoboshiyane also revealed that his department had spent in excess of R55-million to improve productivity in provincial irrigation schemes, thereby stimulating their local economic activities.
Qoboshiyane said lack of governance, poor financial management and lack of technical expertise to run a tea estate were the reasons Magwa and Majola tea estates in Lusikisiki nearly collapsed. They have been rescued by a government bailout.
He announced a turnaround plan for the two estates was on the cards, saying despite these challenges, they had the potential of being the economic hubs and employment centres in the eastern half of the province.
He revealed that interim funding for the turnaround plan was estimated at R45.8-million for Magwa and R20.2-million for Majola tea estate. “The government departments involved are working on the sourcing of this amount,” Qoboshiyane said. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
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