IN 2016 a group of rural based farmers came together with the goal of forming a cooperative to support one another. Despite their efforts, they faced many challenges and complications in the process of registering their cooperative.
Eventually after six long years of hardwork and perseverance, the farming cooperative was finally registered in 2022.
Now, the members are able to enjoy the benefits of their cooperative and work together to achieve greater success.
The Marapyane Bakgatla Primary Cooperative is the beneficiary of the Grain Project by the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs (DARDLEA). Since its inception, the farming cooperative which specialises in yellow maize and sunflower has created over 100 temporary jobs for the people in Marapyane, located in the Dr JS Moroka Local Municipality in the Mpumalanga province.
Minah Lebeya who is also a member of the farming cooperative said that the lack of funding to get their vision off the ground compelled the group of six men and women to knock on doors of the Bakgatla Ba Mocha Traditional Council with the hope to acquire land.
“Our Chief Ntate GT Moepi heard us as the children of this soil to work on the land. He granted us 145 hectares of land. We are farming on a virgin land and so far it has has been excellent output results. We planted 75 hectares of yellow maize and 53 hectares of sunflower. We are planting vegetables under smart agricultural methods on 2 hectares,” said Lebeya who is also the secretary of the farming cooperative.
Not only did the six passionate farmers approach the traditional council of the Bakgatla Ba Mocha in Marapyane, but they also approached the DARDLEA for funding assistance.
“It took us almost two years to be funded. Up until last year August, when we got the approval from the department of agriculture,” said Lebeya.
The 2016 Agricultural Household Survey by Statistics SA revealed that 2.3 million households were involved in Agriculture in comparison to the 2.9 million households in 2011. The drought experienced in the country in the year 2014/15 was the main cause of the 19.1% decrease in households involved in Agriculture.
“We overcame a lot of challenges through our journey which is drought that affected both our crops,” Lebeya said..
“Through DARDLEA support we have managed to pass all these challenges and as we speak we are on our harvesting season of our yellow Maize,”Lebeya added.
So far, the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs has supported the project with infrastructure development, production inputs, mechanisation support, training, extension and advisory support as well as market linkages.
In addition, the Department built more than 5km boundary fence for R2.5 million and the planting of both sunflower and maize with service providers for R2 million. The Marapyane Bakgatla Primary Cooperative is currently expanding with a slight shift towards vegetable production.
Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza said in her budget speech in May that the 2023/24 allocation will allow for implementation of programmes that continue to address food security needs in the communities as well in the country, address land hunger, transform spatial planning, and contribute towards the development of rural areas in partnerships with spheres of government. These resources will, at the same time, be channelled towards ensuring that agriculture, land and rural sectors continue to play an important role in the economic reconstruction and recovery.
Lebeya said the government initiative is going to bring change not only to the farming cooperative but to the community of Marapyane in its entirety.
“I can say that the support from the department is going to help the entire community, not only us because we will be creating jobs especially for youth and women,” she said.
The six farmers are working towards equipping themselves with more skills and knowledge in farming as the project grows and yields profits. They also want to see their farming cooperative exporting crops to other countries in Africa. – news@mukurukuru.co.za
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