Female Farmer of the year
25 May 2005
The annual Female Farmer Awards project was introduced in 1999 as
an initiative to empower and reward South African women in agriculture to
address food security and eradicate hunger and poverty. These awards are organised annually through Public-Private-Partnership
funds.
From the private sector Total SA, ABSA,
Onderstepoort Products and Bayer HealthCare have been
supporting the project with prize money for the winners in the provinces and at
the national finals.
Our women in Agriculture are recognised
through four categories in the export Markets, National Markets, Informal
Markets and Household use.
Recently the farming magazine Farmer's weekly announced that
it would join the Department of Agriculture in elevating the profile of the
South African Female Farmer of The Year competition.
The media is invited to come to the party and to start
supporting female farmers who excel in agriculture despite their historic
exclusion from the sector.
The media must capture a glimpse of the lives of these women
and share it with the all South Africans. It is disappointing to see even women
who are working in the media industry neglecting to report on women in the
agriculture industry.
The media can play a critical role in highlighting the plight
of emerging farmers and providing reliable channels of communication between
the public, government, the private sector and other agricultural players.
Information Provided by:
Sipho Mbaqa
Media liaison Officer
Department of Agriculture and Land Reform
Tel 053 8389100