Home News NC smallholder, subsistence farmers urged to apply for assistance

NC smallholder, subsistence farmers urged to apply for assistance

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MEC Nomandla Bloem said funding would be paid in the form of a grant while a voucher system would apply in partnership with distributors and manufacturers of the agricultural inputs.

Smallholder and subsistence farmers in the Northern Cape have been encouraged to apply for funding up to R50 000 to assist them to overcome challenges to alleviate the impact of the Covid-19 virus. 

The MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, Nomandla Bloem said funding would be paid in the form of a grant while a voucher system would apply in partnership with distributors and manufacturers of the agricultural inputs. 

The application for funding will be open from today, April 8, and will close on April 22.

No applications will be accepted after the closing date. 

Bloem said funding was allocated to the province after the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza’s on Monday announced that R1, 2 billion had been made available for Covid-19 relief programmes. 

“Of these funds R400 million has been set aside for farmers who are supported through the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy.

“An amount of R750 million will be made available to support smallholder farmers occupying small parcels of land and communal land.” 

She indicated that officials in the provincial and district officers would be on standby to assist. 

“Food security in our Province is key, hence we welcome the Minister’s announcement and call on our smallholder farmers and subsistence farmers to take advantage of this opportunity and apply in their numbers.” .   

She added that the fund would allow production to continue so that there was an adequate food supply in the Province.

“The targeted beneficiaries are smallholder and communal producers with a turnover between R20 000 and R1 million per annum.” 

Bloem stated that about 50 percent of women, 40 percent of youths and six percent of people with disabilities would benefit from the fund. 

“South African citizens who have been actively farming for a minimum of 12 month can apply for relief. Funding will also be made available to farmers who are currently in production and registered on a farmer register, commodity database or provincial database of farmers in communal areas.” 

She said the following commodities would be supported:

·       Poultry

: Day old chicks, point of lay chickens, feed, medication and sawdust;

·       Vegetables:

Seedlings, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides and soil correction.

·       Fruits:

Final spraying programmes for fruit that are ready for harvest.

·       Other Livestock:

Feed and medication.

·       Winter field crops:

Soil correction, fertilizers, seeds, herbicides and pesticides.

Application forms are available from today on www.dalrrd.gov.za and through national, provincial, district and local offices of both the national Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and Provincial Departments of Agriculture.

Electronic applications can be emailed to [email protected] or alternatively submitted with the offices as outlined.

For more information Nyakallo Moletsane can be contacted on 083 456 6153 or Lillian Senosi on 082 559 6648. 

District managers will be available on the following numbers:

Mr Christo Smit (ZF Mgcawu)– 082 559 6778

Mr Darren Engelbrecht (Namakwa) – 082 560 8855

Ms Ntombizodwa Mokgalagadi (Pixley ka Seme) – 082 559 7289

Mr Patrick Tonyane (John Taolo Gaetsewe) – 082 559 5948

Mr Malebogo Mocwiri (Frances Baard) – 082 559 0827

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