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Makwassie-As part of the Women’s Month celebrations, the North West Department
of Agriculture and Rural Development took significant strides toward gender equality
in agriculture by donating quality bulls to 23 female-led farms across the province’s
four districts.
This initiative aims to boost agricultural growth, productivity, and economic
empowerment for women in the sector.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, the Head of Department, Mr. Thupi Mokhatla,
emphasized the importance of this initiative in advancing gender equality in
agriculture. “As a Department, we are proud of the progress we have made in
empowering women and improving their lives within this sector. We have opened
doors to economic activities for women and youth in agriculture. These are just the
initial steps in our Department’s ongoing efforts to combat poverty, which
disproportionately affects women,” said HoD Mokhatla.
The beneficiaries of this program come from all four districts of the province, ensuring
a widespread and inclusive impact.
One of the recipients, Tidikwe Dikgakgamatso from Taung, expressed her gratitude,
stating, “I am extremely happy to have been chosen. For a very long time, I did not
have a quality bull, but after today, things will change for the better. I sincerely thank
the Department for assisting us, particularly as women farmers.”
In addition to the bull donation, the Department awarded certificates of competence
to a group of female farmers from Makwassie who recently completed training on crop
production, animal nutrition, and horticulture. This training, conducted by the
Agricultural Research Council (ARC) during the last financial year, benefited a total of
1,492 farmers.
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One of the trained farmers, Nongase Rebecca Mohapi from Kgakala, shared her
experience: “I have learned so much during this training. I can now spot a sick animal
early and know how to address it. The training on animal nutrition was particularly
valuable, and I want to thank the Department for giving me this opportunity.” Nongase
is an emerging goat farmer from Kgakala Township in Leudoringstad.
This event marks and celebrates the vital contributions of women to the agricultural
sector in the North West Province.
Farmers interested in the bull subsidy program or in receiving training are encouraged
to contact their local Extension Officers or visit the nearest agricultural office for more
information on how to participate in these programs.
Photo Captions
PIC676A5593: Head of Department Mr Thupi Mokhatla delivering a keynote address
during the bull handover event held in Makwassie on Wednesday, 28 August 2024.
The event was aimed at recognizing and honouring the vital contributions of women
to the agricultural sector in the North West Province.
PIC 676A5686: (From left to right) North West Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development’s Head of Department Mr. Thupi Mokhatla, Mayor of Maquassi Hills Local
Municipality Cllr. Mzwandile Feliti, and bull subsidy program beneficiary Ms Jacobeth
Makgopela. This photo was taken during the Makwassie event where the Department
donated twenty-three quality bulls to women-led farms.
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Issued by the Communication Services Directorate
Enquiries: Ms Emelda Setlhako
Email: ESetlhako@nwpg.gov.za
Website:www.nwpg.gov.za/dard
Facebook:www.facebook.com/dard
X: @nwpg_dard

Mahikeng-MEC Madoda Sambatha of Agriculture and Rural Development in the North West Province has announced that farmers can start applying for funding for agricultural projects for the 2025/2026 financial year. He made this announcement last Thursday at the North West Provincial Legislature while tabling his Departmental budget vote and policy speech.
The funding aims to bolster subsistence, smallholder, and commercial farmers in the North West Province, enhancing their capacity to secure and boost food production. The focus will be on two key areas: Animal Husbandry and Arable Farming. Consideration for funding will be based on the commodity value chain.
To qualify, applicants must demonstrate a keenness to farm and run a profitable business, should be registered on the provincial farmer database by the closing date, have valid confirmation of access to land (Title deed; stamped and signed tribal resolution; permission to occupy, minimum 5 years lease agreement), must have proof of access to water for irrigation projects i.e. fruits, vegetables and other irrigated crops (water license/rights), proof of Water/waste license for piggery and poultry.
Other requirements are a business plan, proof of market access (Off-take agreements, letters of intent, etc.), the farming operation should be able to create permanent and/ or temporary jobs, where necessary, evidence of relevant commodity authorisations to be provided (environmental impact assessments, virgin land plough certificates, aquaculture & fishing permits, etc.), the application form must be completed in full, attach a certified South African ID copy (not older than 3 months) and that applicant must not be government employee or a political office bearer.
Priority will be given to historically disadvantaged individuals, vulnerable groups (i.e. Youth, Women and People with Disabilities), producers farming in the cotton commodity, producers farming in the citrus commodity, farming and/or agricultural enterprises that are in line with feed into the Agriculture and Agro-Processing Masterplan (AAPM), farming and/or agricultural enterprises that are involved in agricultural value chain production and applicants who have never been supported by an organ of state before.
Successful applicants will get support for infrastructure, production inputs, business development, and skills training.
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Application forms are available on the Departmental website: (dard.nwpg.gov.za) or they can be obtained from any Local Agricultural Offices (LAOs) across the province. All applications must be submitted on or before the 30th of August 2024 deadline to be considered for funding.
PHOTO CAPTION
IMAGE ML4A9914:- MEC Madoda Sambatha of Agriculture and Rural Development in the North West Province.
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Issued by
Issued by
The Directorate Communication Services
The Directorate Communication Services
The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Enquiries: Ms Emelda Setlhako
Enquiries: Ms Emelda Setlhako
Cell: 060 745 4020
Cell: 060 745 4020
Email: ESetlhako@nwpg.gov.za
Email: ESetlhako@nwpg.gov.za
Website:www.nwpg.
Website:www.nwpg.gov.za/Agriculture/gov.za/Agriculture/
Facebook:www.facebook.com/nwpread
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Marikana – To honour the legacy of a transformative leader of the 20th century who significantly influenced the 21st century, MEC Madoda Sambatha of the North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, joined forces with stakeholders in Marikana to conclude the Departmental Mandela Month commemorations.
The theme for this year’s commemoration, ‘It is still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity,’ emphasizes crucial areas of social justice, including childhood development and food security. Given that food security is a priority for the Department, MEC Sambatha, in collaboration with the Mineworker Development Agency (MDA), Agriseta, Bojanala Platinum District Municipality and the Local Municipality, distributed food supplies to thirty (30) destitute households, providing much-needed relief to the mining community.
This collaborative effort aimed to pool resources to ensure that community interventions are well-supported, emphasizing the importance of coordinated investment and impactful outcomes. “We are addressing food security by focusing both on protective measures and on providing supplies to those who are food insecure,” stated Sambatha.

Additionally, MEC Sambatha planted and donated garden tools to Marikana High School, Marikana Primary School, Marikana Clinic, and Wonderkop Clinic. This partnership with the Mineworker Development Agency highlights the Department’s commitment to reducing food insecurity and making a positive impact in the community.
Mr Luthnado Brukwe, Head of Strategy and Special Projects at the Mineworkers’ Development Agency expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration: “We are very excited to be working with the Department to alleviate poverty and to create sustainable alternative income projects.”
Mandela Month serves as a reminder to inspire individuals to take action and contribute to making the world a better place, fostering a global movement for good.

PHOTO CAPTIONS
676A1400.JPG – MEC Madoda Sambatha, HOD Thupi Mokhatla, and stakeholders hand over food supplies to 30 destitute households in Marikana.
676A1522.JPG – MEC Madoda Sambatha and stakeholders distribute garden tools at Marikana High School.
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Issued by
Issued by
The Directorate Communication Services
The Directorate Communication Services
The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Enquiries: Ms Emelda Setlhako
Enquiries: Ms Emelda Setlhako
Cell: 060 745 4020
Cell: 060 745 4020
Email: ESetlhako@nwpg.go
Email: ESetlhako@nwpg.gov.zav.za
Website:www.nwpg.gov.za/Agriculture/
Website:www.nwpg.gov.za/Agriculture/
Facebook:www.facebook.com/nwpread
Facebook:www.facebook.com/nwpread

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with Working on Fire (WOF), hosted a certification ceremony for sixty (60) farmers who completed a Basic Wildland Firefighting course, which is at NQF level one.

The efforts to equip farmers with the necessary skills to control wildfires and prevent potential property losses come as a mitigation strategy to avoid the consequences of the September 2023 wildfires that ravaged crops, grazing land and livestock.

The first group of thirty (30) trainees were formally awarded competence certificates at Ganyesa on Tuesday, 9 July while the other 30 received their certificates in Morokweng on Wednesday 10th. The two-day ceremony also sought to strengthen the existing relationship between the trained and untrained farmers, communities and the Department by sharing valuable information that can be put into practice during the wildfire season, which started in June and will end in October.

Working on Fire general manager, Nolvuyo Mashologu congratulated trainees for their persistence and emphasized the need for more wildfire awareness campaigns. “The four days of training were quite hectic, from theoretical lessons to practical exercises. We are happy to have trained committed individuals in this area as it is the most susceptible to wildfires compared to other areas in the province. Furthermore, encourage all farmers to join their local Fire Protection Associations (FPA) for increased awareness regarding fire risks in their area and
to receive first responses during fires”, she said.

Farmers were handed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and ten (10) fire beaters as a donation from WOF to utilize during fire emergencies at their respective farms. Moreover, the 60 farmers demonstrated some firefighting techniques using the fire beaters to effectively control
and extinguish fire in an open area such as a veld.

Speaking to two Ganyesa-based farmers, Molebogeng Pitorosi and Karabo Tokonyane, who were victims of last year’s wildfires, said they knew little about the basic techniques of putting out the fire before firefighting training. “Last year September we experienced wildfire which
resulted in us losing some parts of our farms and also we lost a fellow farmer who succumbed to smoke inhalation. So we’re grateful to the Department for offering us this training, and we’re glad to share the knowledge with other farmers and communities”, said Tokonyane.

Mahikeng- The North-West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is set to roll out the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) project for cattle. Commonly known as Artificial Insemination, ART will benefit farmers across the province reaching 4000 heads of cattle over a period of 5 years. This means 800 breeding females would be inseminated per year beginning with the current financial year. MEC Desbo Mohono made this announcement during the hosting of ART Farmers’ Day at Potchefstroom College of Agriculture held on 16 May 2024.

ART is a livestock improvement initiative aimed at prioritizing the growth rate, fertility, and milk production as breeding objectives. This will be achieved by empowering previously disadvantaged farmers through this innovative support to assist them to optimally produce livestock (beef cattle for now) with the required quality and genetics to be able to compete in the commercial value chain. An integrated development approach will be encouraged from all stakeholders, as well as
Public/Private sector participation.

With this rollout, the Department has already received a donation of a collective 700 semen straws. 500 straws were from one Ventersdorp-based Stud Breeder, Mr Regomoditswe Malao and 200 straws from Mr Joel Nkuna of Nkunzi Genetics. This means the Department will roll out the
programme well with the support of many existing players.

MEC Desbo Mohono, as she addressed the farmers, spoke about the potential that the province has especially with beef production. She said she believes that the North-West should be ranked highest as she has seen many renowned beef producers in the province. She believes that ART will improve beef production in the province and position local farmers as key players in the industry. “So, the intention with this programme is simply to improve livestock. We have brought many specialists here so that they can share information with all of us on the potential of ART but also on the key demands. We need to get results so our preparation should be on par,” MEC emphasised.

She appreciated the donors who have come forward to ensure that the program is realised. She encouraged other commercial farmers to join in and assist others. MEC further encouraged farmers to work together. She said the greatest achievement would be in collaborations with those who have been doing ART before.

MEC Mohono said although the programme is not new in the province. It was time for the province to relook into their beef production potential and replan how it would compete in the market. The Livestock Improvement project was initiated and started by Bojanala Platinum District, during the financial year 2020/2021. The project has thus far inseminated 190 breeding animals and 10 embryo implants from 11 farmers. Of the inseminated farms three participants are from the communal farming community.

The Departmental Extension and Advisory Services officers will assist in identifying interested farmers to participate in ART. The farmers will need to meet set requirements which include availability of water, crush pens, availability of grazing land and others.
Photos:
676A9295: Farmers across the province came through to learn more about ART process
676A9267: MEC Desbo Mohono and HoD Thupi Mokgatla observing practical demonstration of
ART
676A9269: Industry expects led by Dr Masindi Mphaphati of the Agricultural Research Council,
preparing equipment during ART practical demonstration.
ENDS
Issued by the Communication Services Directorate
Enquiries: Ms Emelda Setlhako
Tel: 018 389 5684
Cell: 060 745 4020
Email: ESetlhako@nwpg.gov.za
Website:www.nwpg.gov.za/dard
Facebook:www.facebook.com/dard
Twitter: @nwpg_dard

Potchefstroom – In an effort to bridge the gap between the commercial, emerging and subsistence farmers, MEC Desbo Mohono of the North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development together with the Head of Department, Mr Thupi Mokhatla on Friday, 26 April 2024 handed over agricultural mechanization to Mr Daniel Soya in Goedgevonden Village in JB Marks Local Municipality as part of the Accelerated Service Delivery Programme Thuntsa Lerole.

The mechanization which includes a tractor, planter and harvester amongst others, is one way of addressing food insecurity in the North West Province. The use of agricultural mechanization is significant for smallholder farmers because it advances production efficiency, reassures large-scale production, and increases the quality of farm produce.

MEC is committed in ensuring that farmers have access to contemporary agriculture mechanization that would enhance their productivity in this competitive environment. “I want to maximize and increase the potential net worth of the agriculture sector and improve its contribution to the agricultural sector,” said Mohono.

To contribute towards achieving provincial priorities, mechanization encourages large-scale production and enhances the quality of farm produce from smallholder.

HoD further reiterated that without proper mechanization, the development of the sector with smallholder black farmers as meaningful participants in the economy will be greatly affected, thus farmers will be compelled to change land use from agriculture to other lucrative non-agricultural uses. “The implements were one way to address food insecurity, the mechanization would increase household food production,” emphasized Mokhatla.

Speaking to the mechanization beneficiary and soybean producer, Mr Daniel Soya said: “I am very grateful to the department as the cost of mechanization was not affordable and they contributed with mechanization so that I can grow my own produce and maximize food security,” exclaimed Soya.

Agricultural mechanization has significantly aided the enhancement of the farming community in the overall economic upliftment. The usage of agricultural mechanization by smallholder farmers has produced an increase in farm returns than those with no agricultural mechanization usage.

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Issued by the Communication Services Directorate

Enquiries: Ms Emelda Setlhako

Tel: 018 389 5684

Email: ESetlhako@nwpg.gov.za

Website:www.nwpg.gov.za/dard

Facebook:www.facebook.com/dard

Twitter: @nwpg_dard

Ventersdorp – MEC Desbo Mohono has handed over a Cattle System designed to identify a herd’s trend and performance to Regomoditswe Malao, an award winning Boran stud breeder from Boschkop near Ventersdorp. The handover event was held on Wednesday, 10 April 2024 at the farmer’s area.

The Cattle System is used to develop, to identify, record and monitor the development, nutrition and health history of cattle through ear tag tracing. This makes recording, analysing and predicting illness, behaviour and body condition easier for farmers. A computer application connected to the system collects data such as weight, breeding history and age. This information is used to create a comprehensive database of the farms livestock which identifies trends in the herd’s performance and assist farmers in making informed decisions about management of their livestock.

Malao also received twenty-five (25) pregnant boran herd, a cattle weight scale, manure spreader, feed mixer, 4 row planter, handling facility that can accommodate a hundred (100) cattle, sighting and drilling of borehole through the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP).

Thrilled with the immense support the department provided to Maloa Boran Stud, Regomoditswe appreciated the department’s extension and advisory services for the remarkable work executed throughout the project’s development. “We have walked this long journey together and everyone was patient despite the challenges we faced. We are here to witness the exceptional efforts that were put into this project without fail. The dedication shown by MEC Mohono and her team in developing cattle farmers is highly valued and will definitely reap the expected outcomes of commercializing black farmers in the province,” said Regomoditswe.

Furthermore, the Department also handed over Thekiso Aquaculture Project. This project is operated by three beneficiaries received seven thousand (7000) Nile Tilapia fish, fish feed, seven ponds were constructed, a fully equipped solar system that supplies power to the ponds and a tunnel was installed.

The Klipgat based project has been functioning for two months since its completion. Kenalemang Thekiso said before the construction of the new ponds, the business partners used to grow their Tilapia from a small pond which they still use and supplied locals with the fish. “Now that we have ponds that house 1000 fish each, we will be able to expand our market as the fish is in high demand. It takes approximately six months for the fish to grow meaning we will have to grow the fish in phases so that we have constant supply for the ever-growing market,” she said.

The second phase of the aquaponics project will involve planting vegetables which will be nourished by the fish pond water which is rich in beneficial bacteria and other nutrients that promote healthy plants.

MEC Mohono concluded the handover by encouraging both farmers to partner with other agripreneurs to ensure the growth and sustainability of their businesses. She said that it was also important for farmers to invest in technology that will simplify data collection, analysis and recording of their livestock and other produce that they have on their farms. “We have demonstrated with the Malao Boran and Thekiso project that technology is reshaping the future of agriculture and making farms more efficient. Smart farming, should be prioritised by our black farmers and we commit as a department to continue supporting those that show dedication and potential to become commercial and mega farmers,” enlightened Mohono.

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Issued by the Communication Services Directorate
Enquiries: Ms Emelda Setlhako
Tel: 018 389 5684
Email: ESetlhako@nwpg.gov.za
Website:www.nwpg.gov.za/Agriculture/
Facebook:www.facebook.com/nwpread