The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is committed to revitalising ailing community projects that are crucial to the livelihoods of numerous families.

Agriculture MEC Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa made this commitment during an oversight visit to Tugela Ferry in uMsinga as part of her efforts to engage with stakeholders, address concerns, and provide impactful solutions to ensure these projects thrive.

One of the projects, the uMvithi Cooperative, part of the broader Tugela Ferry Irrigation Scheme located along the banks of the Thukela River, has 180 members whose operations have stalled due to the malfunctioning of two engine pumps for irrigation.

The pumps were damaged during flooding in January last year. The second pump supplies water to the Block Seven cooperative – uMgolweni, which has also been affected.

The irrigation scheme, which boasts seven primary cooperatives, cultivates and sells fresh produce to small and large retailers in and out of the uMsinga area, and has proven a cornerstone for many of its 1 800 members and their families.

Addressing the leadership of the scheme representing primary cooperatives, KaMadlopha-Mthethwa said her department undertook this visit as part of the Siyahlola Campaign to hear the concerns of farmers in the schemes, to see to it that there are solutions.

“These solutions include working with the department to repair the water pump and address related issues, and ensure the success of affected cooperatives.

“I have considered all concerns, but the key message is the one regarding the multifunctional engine pump, as it affects business operations and livelihoods,” said the MEC.

“My department’s officials and I offer solutions for the well-being of these gardens, which have sustained numerous families for many years.

“I pledge to work with all stakeholders, including traditional leaders, to develop a lasting solution to the challenges you face,” she said.

She added that the MECs have been tasked by Premier Thami Ntuli to ensure every corner of the province has greenery.

“We are committed to achieving this call by assisting struggling projects and restoring them to their former glory,” she said, before distributing fertilizer to some of the cooperatives within the irrigation scheme.

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