Potatoes SA has long since realised this crop’s contribution to transformation. According to Potatoes CEO Mark du Plessis the recent collaborative injection of financial and technical support to a Limpopo community is further proof that transformation in the industry is booming. T he Makuleke Irrigation Scheme was established in 1985 in the Thulamela Municipality of the Vhembe district. Potatoes SA’s broad-based BEE manager Diale Mokgojwa explains that the leadership of the Makuleke tribe and the community requested the former Gazankulu government to give it a portion of land to establish an irrigation scheme. “The sole purpose of the scheme was to produce food and to create jobs for 5 000 Makuleke community members. government endorsed their request and the Development Bank of Southern Africa made funds available for the project, which they used to purchase four pumps, a sprinkler irrigation system, two houses, an earth dam and office,” he says.
The Makuleke Farmers Cooperative was registered in 1991 to head the scheme when 52 farmers were producing maize, tomatoes and cabbage on 240ha. scheme, however, collapsed in 1998. Going at it again “It was only after 2000 that the farmers mobilised again. They started with a selection process focusing on the unemployed who had to work full time on the irrigation scheme and had to undergo training at the same time. In the selection process youth and gender representation were the main focus,” Mokgojwa says. S ome 38 farmers met the criteria of group farming principles and each received an average of 5ha. 2005 the agriculture department came on board and started with infrastructure development. It made R14 million available through the Revitalisation of Smallholder Schemes to establish 20 centre pivots on 280ha and potatoes were identified as the main crop. “farmers were linked to a strategic partner, Arthur Creighton, to meet the department’s commercial policy,” Mokgojwa says. ”An established and successful potato farmer, Creighton helps with capacity building and provides market access as he is a major supplier to Simba SA.
The partnership agreement between the two parties was signed on 19 March this year and is valid for three years.” Mokgojwa explains that Creighton, as a major shareholder, has 60% of the shares and the Makuleke Farmers’ Association will have 40% for the first year, and thereafter both parties will have 50% for the second and third years. In the end the handover of the Makuleke Irrigation Scheme by the Limpopo agriculture department came to 255ha under centre-pivot irrigation, four pumping stations, a pump house, fertiliser mixing machine, a bulk water supply system, perimeter fencing and a packing shed. The MEC for agriculture in Limpopo Dikeledi Magadzi is proud of the association’s achievement but warns that it should make optimal use of the equipment. First yield shows much promise The first potato crop was planted in March this year on 240ha. Harvesting started in July and by mid-September the association had yielded over 6 600t of potatoes. Thanks to its partnership with Creighton, it too will sell to Simba SA. “Projects like these are important to the potato industry as it demonstrates how the industry and communities can work together to achieve success,” Du Plessis says. “It’s a low-risk approach that requires commitment which has great socio-economic benefits like job creation and training.”
Potatoes SA drives transformation Potatoes SA’s Mokgojwa says it’s the company’s goal to actively drive and promote transformation in the industry. “We want to enable an environment for transformation and in doing so create a one-stop shop for skills development and transfer,” he says. “This is made possible through alliances with key stakeholders which include government, farmers, communities and the value chain at large.” He says the scheme is a prime example of Potatoes SA’s commitment to skills development and training. “From this initiative, under the helm of Potatoes SA and in accordance with our strategic partners, community members and learners who show promise will be selected to attend agricultural schools and pursue further training at leading universities. We will then further sponsor their industry involvement and participation which we hope will lead to industry absorption.” |fw
