In bold move to improve the lives of livestock farmers and the farming community at large, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala launched the Livestock Associations revival programme and rolled-up his sleeves to till the soil during the implementation of the Multi-Planting Season in Jozini under the UMkhanyakude District Municipality.
The roll-out follows the official launch of the provincial-wide Multi-Planting Season by Premier Zikalala last month in Bergville.
This programme forms part of the Provincial Government’s intensified efforts to support farmers in order to drive radical agrarian socio-economic transformation because the agriculture sector was identified as a strategic sector that plays an important role in economic development and ensuring food security.
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the KwaZulu-Natal Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan has identified agriculture as a key pillar for economic growth.
Addressing the farming community and people of uMkhanyakude District Municipality, Premier Zikalala said with the closure of the ports during the heavy lockdown last year, agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal thrived because of increased local demand and the provincial government was even more determined to secure such markets for KZN farmers moving forward.
“We must continue to facilitate the entry of a generation of black agriculture entrepreneurs and black commercial farmers. As a pro-poor government, we will continue to advocate that the financial services sector must prioritise their loan book to make available relevant equity investment instruments and loan finance to enable existing farmers to undertake transformational projects to grow their enterprises. We insist that there is a need for increased funding for agro-processing, and we will continue to help small agribusinesses access supplier and enterprise development programmers,” said Premier Zikalala.
The Premier said the KwaZulu-Natal Government has developed a livestock strategy to map out and give clarity on the development of Livestock Associations to:
· Address the development of the communal livestock industry;
· Emergent and commercial livestock industry and
· Value-adding of livestock and livestock products through livestock associations.
“We are pleased that the four Livestock Associations in uMkhanyakude District with more than 11 000 members and over 160 dip tanks will be mobilised into one District Livestock Association. About R26 million was invested in dipping chemicals for all districts in KwaZulu-Natal. We have 52 livestock association from the 10 Districts and eThekwini Metropolitan area. Three livestock intervention programme will be implemented in uMkhanyakude District estimated to be over R5,3 million,” said Premier Zikalala.
The 2020/2021 multi-planting season in uMkhanyakude District is estimated to achieve a circa revenue of R93,1 million. The commodities targeted are:
· Maize (546 hectares) revenue of over R1 million.
· Beans (600 hectares) revenue of R15,9 million.
· Vegetables (413,2 hectares) revenue of R76 million.
Premier Zikalala said the multi-planting season implementation in uMkhanyakude District is earmarked to cover 1597 hectares.
“In each municipal area beneficiary farmers are receiving seed, and farmers in their second year of being in the programme will buy their own seed from the proceeds of previous planting season. The Umkhanyakude district received 474,9 tons of fertiliser to assist in the procurement of chemicals. In addition, farmers have been encouraged to contribute towards the procurement of production inputs. The total budget for mechanisation services was set at about R4,4 million,” said Premier Zikalala.
Premier Zikalala also said that the Multi-Planting Season is a strategic programme that is aimed at getting rid of poverty, inequality and unemployment through inclusive rural economic development by investing in agriculture.
Premier Zikalala, who was joined by the MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Bongi Sithole-Moloi, local leadership, traditional leadership and the Director-General of the Province of KwaZulu-Natal Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize, also handed over agricultural tools to beneficiaries.