Let’s go back to the land – MEC

PEOPLE should revive their heritage of tilling the land and promoting food security and self-reliance.

Agriculture and rural development MEC, Joy Matshoge made this statement while addressing the people of Nwanedi and Musina in the Vhembe district on Heritage Day.

Matshoge was also monitoring progress made by the beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP). She said the Nwanedi area was one of the dominant players in the agricultural sector.

She reminded the farming community that prior to being dispossessed of their land, the indigenous people were productively using this resource as a means to sustain their livelihoods.

“Before the advent of colonial conquest our people were actively involved in agricultural production and led prosperous lives. Farming activities are our history and heritage. Colonialism attempted to destroy the heritage of agriculture among our people.

“Let us also increase the income and improve the food security of poor rural households,” she said.

“Now is the time for our communities to claim back this proud heritage. Let us go back to our fields and farm, combat hunger and breed cattle,” she said.

According to Matshoge, the Nwanedi project comprises nine cooperatives that operate on more than 6 000 hectares of land. These are Maanda Ngua Pfana, Madimbo, Nwanedi Youth, Ntsedzani, Nwanedi Livestock Cooperative, Top7, Gudani, Feeskraal and Nwanedi Secondary Cooperative.

The cooperatives focus on both livestock and crop farming at commercial and subsistence farming levels, she said.

“Notable strides have been made in the commercial farming level with some cooperatives securing contracts with retailer Tiger Brands to supply tomatoes. NTK and Techno-serve (an agent of Walmart) are supplied with sugar beans and butternuts respectively. The cooperatives also export cash crops to neighbouring countries, including Mozambique and Zimbabwe and the Pretoria market and Johannesburg fresh produce. More than R2 million has been disbursed to these cooperatives by the department,” she said.

She added that these institutions also received ongoing technical assistance and advice and had benefited from the Mechanisation Programme, which provided farming equipment.

Currently, there are four Community Property Associations (CPAs), which benefited from the Land Tenure Act. These are the Mandiwana, Nwanedi, Nemapakoni and Munungufhala CPAs . These cooperatives operate under these CPAs, she said.

The MEC commended the Nwanedi farming fraternity for their sterling efforts. She stressed the importance of using restored land for poverty reduction and inclusive rural development purposes. “This community did not allow any piece of land to lie fallow. We invite private sector investors to partner with them and other communities involved in similar ventures for the purpose of strengthening agricultural commercialisation, rural infrastructure development, increment of the market share by smallholder farmers and employment,” Matshoge said.