Minimal resources used for revival

Report and picture by Lulamile Feni

FIRST CROP: Rabula Farmers' Association (RFA) members show their first wheat harvest to the Agriculture Department Amatole district officials. Front from left are departmental district extension services deputy director Nariman Khayltash, RFA chairman Makhuze Njemla, Departmental district projects and planning deputy director Kenneth Mafu, and RFA's Mlamli Tsengiwe. On the back of the bakkie are members of the RFA.

KEISKAMMAHOEK --Despite all odds and a lack of resources, emerging farmers here are utilising minimal resources at their disposal to revive agriculture in the area and curb poverty, instead of waiting for the government to do things for them.

Keiskammahoek was previously a wheat producing area and was one of the areas in the former Ciskei homeland which boasted a booming agricultural industry.

The agricultural sector was the major employer in Ciskei.

The 25-member Rabula Farmers' Association (RFA), whose members are land owners, started an initiative in May with the cultivation of wheat on a 15 hectare site in the area.

RFA chairman Makhuze Njemla said agricultural machinery hire and markets in the area used to be commonplace.

However, most were sold because the government thought they would be better managed by the farmers themselves.

"But what disadvantaged us, was that all the machines were sold through public auction and we were unable to meet the highest bids."

Last year, the RFA, assisted by Agriculture Department officials, took the initiative to repair a government-owned broken shelling machine which assisted in harvesting the association's first successful crop.

"The first harvest brought in 30 bags of wheat per morgen (0.856 hectares)...it's a showpiece of what we've done for ourselves," Njemla said.

Agriculture Department Amatole district projects and planning deputy director Kenneth Mafu, who was invited to the area, said he was impressed by the initiative taken by the RFA to curb poverty and revive the culture of agriculture. He said limited resources meant the RFA had only produced 500kg of wheat per hectare.

"This is rather low for the area, and the department is committed to assisting the farmers with training and advice... with this they could push up production to three tons per hectare.

"After training them, we will see how best to take the project forward," Mafu said.