MEC visits chicory farmers

The Eastern Cape’s emerging chicory farmers have received a shot in the arm when the provincial government supplied them with seeds, fertilisers and insecticides to the value of R400 000.

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Mlibo Qoboshiyane, the provincial MEC for Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, met with the black producers in Alexandria on 3 March as part of an effort aimed at reviving chicory production in the Ndlambe Local Municipality, better known for its ostrich, dairy and pineapple farming.

Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Qoboshiyane said the visit was a success and chicory production was “regaining its strength” in the area.

The provincial government has already purchased 10 320ha of land for emerging farmers in the region, and a further 2 860ha would be bought during the 2015/2016 financial year, said Qoboshiyane.

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A trade partnership between Chicory SA and Nestle SA aimed at benefiting emerging farmers was on the cards and would be signed soon, he added.

“We are going to create a public private partnership model in the Eastern Cape because of the need to work together in addressing issues of skills and training and land availability,” said Qoboshiyane.

This comes after National Association of Farmers Union (NAFU) deputy national secretary Mandla Peter criticised the government’s apparent lack of support, claiming the state sets them up for failure by not giving them operational support after giving them farms as part of the land reform policy.