Agri, Potatoes SA empower female farmers
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development together with Potatoes South Africa recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop the sector by focusing on emerging female potato farmers in the province.

POLOKWANE – According to Agriculture MEC Nandi Ndalane the MOU will enable them to provide comprehensive technology transfer and enterprise development support to farmers as part of the Revitaliation of Agriculture and Agro Processing Action Plan (RAAVAC).
She said the development augurs well for their efforts to have women play a meaningful role in food production in the province.
“Limpopo accounts for 21% of the total area under potato production in the country in areas which include Mogwadi (Dendron), Vivo, Morebeng and Loskop valley. We will continue to deliberately assist women in farming so that they can eventually run commercial enterprises. While the focus here is on potatoes we will continue to assist in other commodities as we strive to make farming fashionable in Limpopo,” Ndalane said.
As part of the collaboration the department provided the farmers with potato seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, technical advisory as well as monitoring in the Ga-Mashalane village in the Bochum area on July 27.
She added that the department is working very hard to ensure that they work with the industry, in this case Potatoes South Africa to introduce small holder farmers into the big agriculture value chain.
“We believe that the potential that small holder farmers possess if properly supported will ensure that they play a meaningful role in food provision in the province, thereby obtaining food security for all and importantly provide job opportunities to our people,” Ndalane remarked.
