Making it work in Molemole

Lifting poverty and creating jobs through small agribusiness growth is on Dr Lekau Mphasha’s agenda. He talks to Peter Mashala.

Making it work in Molemole
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Ramatjowe is a village in Limpopo about 100km north of Polokwane along the N1 towards Musina. Situated within the Molemole Local Municipality, the village is plagued by poverty and urban drift. Skills among the locals are scarce. Dr Lekau Mphasha of the University of Venda, who lives in Ramatjowe, sees a pathway to positive change through the creation of small ago-processing industries.

In 2006, Dr Mphasha and a colleague, Dr Makgoshi Masipha, who also lives in the village, established the Molemole Food Processing Primary Co-operative (MFPPC), which produces jam, peanut butter and atchar. Dr Mphasha says that many similar projects fail due to a lack of support and skills. So he arranged with the Limpopo agriculture department to help the group with training.

Land was made available to the MFPPC by the local chief but despite support and 150 members, the project stalled because the group was short of funds. Discouraged, members began to leave; now only six remain. Realising the project was in serious jeopardy, Dr Mphasha turned to the local municipality and the province’s two universities (University of Venda and University of Limpopo, Turfloop Campus).

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Assistance
“To re-ignite the project, the Molemole municipality built factory facilities, donated a peanut butter pounding machine and peanut butter containers,” says Dr Mphasha. Through the good offices of the University of Venda, Land Bank donated staff uniforms, containers, furniture, two computers, stationery, R15 000 and business skills training. The University of Venda offered training in peanut butter making, while the University of Limpopo upskilled members in tomato sauce production.

In addition, both universities paid 75% of the cost of having the peanut butter’s quality tested by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). Dr Mphasha acknowledges the role played by the universities, Land Bank and the municipality in the progress made by the MFPPC. He freely admits however that the co-op still has a long way to go.

Waste not
The co-op manufactures atchar and jam from fruit available on plants grown on communal land. Marula and prickly pear are used for jam, and mangoes and vegetables to make atchar. Marula and prickly pear are seasonally abundant and can be harvested at low cost. “We saw an opportunity and decided to process these, as they would normally just go to waste,” explains Dr Mphasha. Community members try and market the fruit along the N1. “But there isn’t much business these days,” he notes.

Proof in the cooking
Making marula jam is fairly simple. The fruit is washed and a small cross cut on the top side. It’s then cooked for about 90 minutes, until the peels fall off, and is left overnight. The peels are removed and the pips extracted. “We then add sugar and about 10ml of lemon juice per 1kg of pulp,” explains Dr Masipha. The mixture is poured into sterilised jars and sealed while still hot.

To make the peanut butter, the MFPPC buys about 200kg of groundnuts a month which are sourced in Makhado. They’re roasted in a pan until golden brown and give off a rich aroma. Then they’re mixed with salt, sugar, vegetable oil and honey in a blender until creamy. The atchar is made from fresh, firm green mangoes. “Our selection is careful; riper fruit results in pickles with a fruity odour, lacking the green mango flavour,” says Dr Masipha.

Mangoes are washed and then cut with sharp stainless steel knives. “Iron or copper equipment should be avoided,” adds Dr Masipha. He explains that these metals discolour the flesh of the fruit. A single stroke must be used when cutting to ensure minimum damage and avoid mushiness in the final product. Next, the mangoes are sliced, soaked in brine containing sodium meta-bisulphite and 1% calcium chloride, and left in containers until they are pickled.

“Once this process is complete, we drain the brine and add vegetable oil and finely ground chilli powder for flavour and colour,” says Dr Masipha. The atchar is stored in a cool place in clean sealed jars. “If it’s processed well, it can be kept for several months.”

With its existing infrastructure, the co-op can produce about 1 500 bottles (350ml) of jam, 1 000 atchar containers (350ml) and 420 containers (1kg) of peanut butter a month, says Dr Masipha. The products are sold to community schools, hospitals and individuals. For expansion into more significant markets the co-op will need more equipment. “Once we have a bigger market, local farmers can supply us with the products we need,” explains Dr Masipha.

Contact Dr Lekau Mphasha on 072 192 1392.