Farming project empowers community in Ramsgate
As of January 2020, the trust officially had 100 beneficiary households, with election of trustees taking place democratically through a Deed of Trust regulated process every five years.
With the South Coast agricultural sector ever growing, the Roselands Farming Project in Ramsgate continues to play a strong role in contributing to the economic and social development to the community as a whole.
Founded in 2007, the Roselands Farm is a mixed use farm located on Fascadale Road on the outskirts of Ramsgate close to Emvutshini location, and is run by the Roselands Community Trust.
In 2008, the trust established the KwaNyuswa Agricultural Farm as its business operating entity.
The trust is divided into three co-operative bodies, Emagudwini Agricultural Co-Operative, Ibilanhlolo Women’s Co-Operative and the Roselands Family Tree Agricultural Co-Operative which caters for the youth.
“Due to the racial segregation of the past, the previous occupants and residents of the land were removed from the farm in 1965. When the democratic government was elected in 1994 and after a long process we were finally given back our ancestral land in 2007,” said Kevin Dladla, chairman of the Roselands Family Tree Agricultural Co-Operative.
The farm currently produces bananas, macadmia nuts, sugarcane, timber and poultry, all while providing a valuable platform for knowledge and skills development in agriculture. Each co-operative under the trust oversees the different sectors of farming and aims to expand the reach of the farm.
“The board of the Roseland Community Trust wanted the members of its community more involved with the day-to-day running of the farm in order to empower and equip not only the men and women, but the youth as well,” Dladla said.
As of January 2020, the trust officially had 100 beneficiary households, with election of trustees taking place democratically through a Deed of Trust regulated process every five years.
According to Dladla, there are plans to eventually do away with sugarcane and introduce the farming of tea-tree plants and coffee, and expand the current poultry farming of broiler chickens.
“The many hectares of sugarcane will soon be phased out to make way for expanding our macadamia farming and tea-tree plants. Equipping the young and the old with these skills is probably the biggest benefit of this project as we are grooming breadwinners and individuals that will contribute to the economic and social development of the South Coast” he said.
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