By Maile Matsimela
Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development MEC, Nakedi Kekana, expressed her satisfaction with Senwabarwana farmers and their contribution towards job creation, the GDP and food security.
Last week, Kekana visited four projects, namely the Nkukeng Vegetable Project, Shadtonez Temong, Selamolela and Sons, and Mazeli Farming and Projects. The Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has, through the Farmer Support Programme, invested infrastructure into these projects (including pack nets, centre pivots and reservoir dams) to maximise their production and supply, especially to local projects such as feeding schemes.
The projects, located in the potato belt in the Capricorn District, mainly cultivate primary commodities such as potatoes and cabbage and relay cash crops and supply to big retailers and other markets outside the province. The MEC encouraged localisation to boost local GDP and further called for Stats SA to capture the local GDP ratio to establish growth. Kekana’s visit was part of an ongoing programme to assess the readiness of smallholder and subsistence farmers to commercialise.
On the same day, Kekana also visited a sweet potato yogurt-producing project led by a young farmer, Molatelo Kgarose, at Ladanna, Polokwane, and the new facility in Seshego, Capricorn District. The aim of the visit was to assess the state of readiness of the new processing factory and the layout and design thereof. Kekana emphasised the importance of localising the value chain. She said an aftermarket should be established beforehand to allow local sweet potato farmers to contribute to the value chain of local production and distribution, ensuring that localisation in every aspect contributes positively towards the local and provincial economy. The Department said this is part of implementing the Revitalization of Agriculture, Agro-processing and Value Chain (RAAVC), which is strategically designed to boost primary agricultural production.
This initiative aims to enhance agro-processing capabilities and to align with the broader industrialisation objectives outlined in the Limpopo Development Plan. The RAAVC initiative is poised to significantly increase agricultural output, thereby driving job creation, enhancing food security and improving rural livelihoods. Furthermore, the Department said the plan aims to bolster foreign exchange earnings through increased export activities, thereby playing a crucial role in the province’s socio-economic recovery.
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