17/05/2023
On the 17th of May 2023 Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality hosted an event in collaboration with the Department of Rural Development & Agrarian Reform with MEC Nonkqubela Pieters and other stakeholders present at the Springrove community hall. The event’s main purpose was to formally handover a multi-purpose livestock handling facility to local farmers.
The multi-functional facility will accommodate functions such as dipping, dehorning, branding, taking of blood samples from cattle, vaccinations, loading, weighing, and selling of livestock.
Mr Fundile Plaatjie, the Chairperson of Local Farmers’ Association in the area approached the department requesting the to assist after he saw elderly farmers struggling to take proper care of their livestock. DRDAR responded favourably, hence the facility, valued at R375 000 was constructed
The project directly forms part of developing the community and livestock improvement. ‘Let’s go back to organic farming, farming is a business’, this was said by the MEC urging community members to invest in gardening to assist in relieving poverty in the community. She also encouraged them to sell their livestock as means of generating an income and not only focus on subsistence farming.
MEC Pieters also urged young people to stand up and take charge of their livelihoods and that of their community by taking part in agricultural activities by gardening (including at their own backyards) or livestock farming. She said ‘don’t be job seekers, be job creators’, encouraging them to start businesses, such as selling lurcerne hay to local farmers. Should they start this venture the department is willing to intervene by providing machinery to harvest the lurcerne hay, highlighting that the government is willing to assist growing businesses.
As part of livestock improvement, DRDAR will investigate the possibility of renovating the old existing shearing shed in Springrove. If the existing structure cannot be refurbished the Department will look into procuring sheep shearing equipment for these local farmers as another means of generating an income for themselves.
Standing in for the Executive Mayor, Technical Services’ Portfolio Head Cllr Mhlangabezi Mancotywa said “the responsibility of government is to create a conducive environment for economic activities to take place but the onus lies with the farmers themselves. We believe that the facility will be used in the most optimal manner, by the rightful product owners. We call upon the youth and community at large to protect the facility.
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Lonwabo Kowa
Manager: Communications
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