The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has officially launched a coffee bean production project that could introduce an entirely new agricultural value chain to the province, with ambitions of creating jobs, supporting emerging farmers and developing export markets.
By Maile Matsimela, digital editor at African Farming
The project, launched on Monday at the state-owned Kgora Farmer Training Centre near Ramatlabama outside Mahikeng, is being implemented in partnership with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA). It follows an announcement made earlier this year by MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Madoda Sambatha during the department’s Budget Vote and Policy Speech.
More than growing coffee
While the project centres on coffee production, it is designed to develop an entire value chain rather than simply cultivating coffee trees.
The department says plans include coffee cultivation, processing and value addition, supported by the construction of a processing facility where coffee beans will be de-husked, roasted and packaged on site. The initiative also seeks to create market opportunities for locally produced coffee while positioning the province to access both domestic and international markets, including possible exports to Turkey and other countries.
For farmers, the department says the project represents an opportunity to participate in a higher-value agricultural enterprise that extends beyond primary production into processing and marketing.
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Skills transfer and rural development
The department expects the project to generate employment while equipping participating farmers with new production and processing skills. Beyond job creation, the initiative is intended to strengthen agricultural innovation and contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable agricultural sector in the province.
Speaking at the launch, Sambatha said the partnership with TİKA demonstrates the department’s commitment to introducing new agricultural opportunities that can benefit both farmers and rural communities. He said coffee production has the potential to diversify agriculture in the province while opening new market opportunities and creating employment.
Although the project begins at the Kgora Farmer Training Centre, the department views it as a pilot that could be replicated elsewhere should it prove successful. Sambatha said the long-term objective is to expand coffee production beyond the Mahikeng area so that more communities and farmers across the province can participate in the emerging value chain.
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Turkish partnership
As part of its contribution, TİKA has supplied coffee trees and processing equipment and will continue supporting the initiative through technical assistance, skills development and market access support.
Most of the project’s beneficiaries are drawn from communities surrounding the Kgora Farmer Training Centre and the Ramatlabama area, where residents are expected to benefit from training, employment opportunities and economic activity generated by the project.
If successful, the initiative could provide a blueprint for introducing alternative, high-value crops into the North West, while strengthening local agro-processing and creating new income opportunities for emerging farmers.
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