FEMALE FARMERS ACQUIRE LAND FOR COMMERCIAL FARMING

The Northern Cape’s MEC for Agriculture, Land Reform, Environment and Conservation, Dawid Rooi, will hand over 17 hectares of irrigable agricultural land to two female farmers in Upington on Friday 27, February 2004. The ownership certificates will be given to Ms. Nombulelo Gqalane and Ms. Sophie Freeman at an award ceremony that is part of government’s ten-year democratic governance build up programme. Ms Gqalane and Freeman have already repaid their R50 000 Land Bank loan with the profits of their two trial plantations. They obtained second position in the Formal Markets Category of the Provincial Female Farmer of the Year Competition of last year.

MEC Rooi says the allocation is aimed at accelerating the social and economic advancement of women through model agricultural projects. “ We’ve managed to disposed off 20, 017 hectares worth R20 million of commercial agricultural state land to date. Friday’s event bears testimony to the fact that we are well on track in strengthening women in agriculture by targeting vulnerable groups for economic development. Agriculture is best positioned to harness entrepreneurship and its clear that we have not abandoned the noble intentions of 2002’s Women in Agriculture Conference,” emphasized MEC Rooi.

The 17 hectares to be allocated to the two female farmers is a portion of the department’s Eiland Research Station and was allocated as part of the department’s disposal of state land project. The department has spent R35 920 on input costs such as seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. The Research Station is providing support in terms of technical expertise and the marketing of the produce. END.

Enquiries: Thabo Mothibi @ 083 255 8840 / tmothibi@grand.ncape.gov.za