Fourteen farmers from the Eastern Cape are currently exporting more than 3,000 tons of maize to Vietnam through a partnership with the Grain Farmer Development Association and the Eastern Cape department of rural development and agrarian reform.
On Thursday farmers Andile Ndzunga, Mxolisi Mlandu, Teboho Mongoato and Tefelo Mohapi, all from Matatiele, were part of a delegation that witnessed their maize form part of an 8,000 ton maize shipment loaded onto a supramax cargo vessel in Durban port.
The KwaZulu-Natal port was identified as the closest for the Matatiele farmers who were delighted to watch their produce being loaded in preparation for leaving for high seas on July 29.
The farmers watched the tip truck deposit their maize and saw it sifted and loaded onto the ship on a series of conveyor belts.
Mongoato of Matatiele Grainco praised department of rural development and agrarian reform (DRDAR) Alfred Ndzo district director, Bukiwe Madyibi, for supporting farmers together with the provincial department which has invested R10-million in mechanisation for Matatiele farmers’ production.
DRDAR spokesman Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetshe said the programme formed part of the department’s implementation of the Agriculture Economic Transformation Strategy.
“The department signed a service level agreement with the Grain Farmer Development Association tasking it to support emerging black grain farmers to produce maize on 3,350 hectares for commercial markets in the Joe Gqabi and Alfred Nzo districts of the province.
“It has been quite a process, lots of hard labour and it has required a lot of patience, but today we are seeing the rewards of our hard work.
“It’s been a good season for farmers this year, producing yields which are above average and producing quality maize.”
Mongoato said job-creation was also on the rise as they had lots of work to do and increased the number of seasonal workers employed and added additional farm staff.
Grain Farmer Development Association (GFADA) general manager Ishmael Tshiame said the Eastern Cape was being used as a case study and this was the first province to develop a partnership with them to benefit black farmers.
“We want black farmers to become commercial farmers and we need to work with government hand in glove.
“We are also working with the farmers who have acquired farms through government programmes,” he said.
The five-year partnership with GFADA will assist farmers in covering crop insurance, soil corrections, mentorship and finding markets for their grain.
DDRDAR district coordination chief director Hamilton Ntsapo said they were committed to develop farmers and to see them export red meat, wool as well as other horticultural crops.
Ntsapo said: "The total tonnage estimated from Matatiele farmers when they all complete harvesting is 8,658 tons and we estimate that this will earn them about R18.7-million.
Between April 2018 and July 2018 South Africa exported about 663,500 tons of yellow maize to Botswana, Mozambique, Swaziland, Italy, Korea Republic, Namibia, Taiwan Republic of China and Vietnam.
Wipwise Commodities, one of GFADA’s strategic partners, secured off-take agreements for the crop with local and foreign buyers hence the maize will be shipped to Vietnam as part of the agreement signed by the department and the GFADA.
WipwiseCommodities CEO Noel Bastiaan said their role was to see farmers become profitable.
lTrip was sponsored by the department of rural development and agrarian reform.
14 farmers sell maize to Vietnam
Farming is a business and we want farmers to become more profitable
Image: Supplied
Fourteen farmers from the Eastern Cape are currently exporting more than 3,000 tons of maize to Vietnam through a partnership with the Grain Farmer Development Association and the Eastern Cape department of rural development and agrarian reform.
On Thursday farmers Andile Ndzunga, Mxolisi Mlandu, Teboho Mongoato and Tefelo Mohapi, all from Matatiele, were part of a delegation that witnessed their maize form part of an 8,000 ton maize shipment loaded onto a supramax cargo vessel in Durban port.
The KwaZulu-Natal port was identified as the closest for the Matatiele farmers who were delighted to watch their produce being loaded in preparation for leaving for high seas on July 29.
The farmers watched the tip truck deposit their maize and saw it sifted and loaded onto the ship on a series of conveyor belts.
Mongoato of Matatiele Grainco praised department of rural development and agrarian reform (DRDAR) Alfred Ndzo district director, Bukiwe Madyibi, for supporting farmers together with the provincial department which has invested R10-million in mechanisation for Matatiele farmers’ production.
DRDAR spokesman Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetshe said the programme formed part of the department’s implementation of the Agriculture Economic Transformation Strategy.
“The department signed a service level agreement with the Grain Farmer Development Association tasking it to support emerging black grain farmers to produce maize on 3,350 hectares for commercial markets in the Joe Gqabi and Alfred Nzo districts of the province.
“It has been quite a process, lots of hard labour and it has required a lot of patience, but today we are seeing the rewards of our hard work.
“It’s been a good season for farmers this year, producing yields which are above average and producing quality maize.”
Mongoato said job-creation was also on the rise as they had lots of work to do and increased the number of seasonal workers employed and added additional farm staff.
Grain Farmer Development Association (GFADA) general manager Ishmael Tshiame said the Eastern Cape was being used as a case study and this was the first province to develop a partnership with them to benefit black farmers.
“We want black farmers to become commercial farmers and we need to work with government hand in glove.
“We are also working with the farmers who have acquired farms through government programmes,” he said.
The five-year partnership with GFADA will assist farmers in covering crop insurance, soil corrections, mentorship and finding markets for their grain.
DDRDAR district coordination chief director Hamilton Ntsapo said they were committed to develop farmers and to see them export red meat, wool as well as other horticultural crops.
Ntsapo said: "The total tonnage estimated from Matatiele farmers when they all complete harvesting is 8,658 tons and we estimate that this will earn them about R18.7-million.
Between April 2018 and July 2018 South Africa exported about 663,500 tons of yellow maize to Botswana, Mozambique, Swaziland, Italy, Korea Republic, Namibia, Taiwan Republic of China and Vietnam.
Wipwise Commodities, one of GFADA’s strategic partners, secured off-take agreements for the crop with local and foreign buyers hence the maize will be shipped to Vietnam as part of the agreement signed by the department and the GFADA.
WipwiseCommodities CEO Noel Bastiaan said their role was to see farmers become profitable.
lTrip was sponsored by the department of rural development and agrarian reform.
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