Archives: News

MEDIA ADVISORY
Att
: ALL EDITORS
Media Houses
Date: Thurs
day, 28 July 2022

Klerksdorp
In efforts to fight hunger & empower communities to generate their own food, a bout 120 households, two schools and a Day Care C entre will benefit as part of the North West Department of Agr iculture and Rural Development s initiative for Mandela Month on Friday, 28 July 2022 in Jouberton Township in Klerksdorp , Dr Kenneth Under the theme, Do what you can, with what you have, where you are, MEC Desbo Mohono will lead this tribute at which 100 households will receive vegetable packs while the 20 will be handed over piggery feeds. The Primary schools i.e. Are Itshokeng and Kaka tlela s gardens will be extended and more vegetables will be plante d while W AMIMS Day Care C entre garden will also be extended and handed over with more garden inputs. The Jouberton celebration is in line with the annual commemoration to mark Nelson Mandela International day and is , furthermore set to highlight the plig ht of f ood security and climate change, which invites every individual to act positively and make a difference in communities.

 

Members of the media are invite d to the event which will be held as follows:
 Venue: WAMIMS Day Care Centre (Ward 7, Jouberton)
 Date: Friday, 29 July 2022
 Time: 10h00

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Issued by the Communication Services Directorate
Enquiries
& RSVP : Ms Tsholofelo Dintwe
Cell:
083 5767 655

MEDIA STATEMENT
Att: ALL EDITORS
Media Houses
Date: Sunday, 17 July 2022

Klerksdorp
The Mandela Day Event scheduled for Monday, 18th July 2022 in Jouberton near Klerksdorp has been postponed until further notice. The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will communicate the new dates in due time.
The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development regrets the inconvenience.

MEDIA STATEMENT
Att : ALL EDITORS
Media Houses
Date: Monday, 20 June 2022

Taung – Four of the nine students supported through MEC Desbo Mohono’s intervention initiative have graduated at Taung College of Agriculture (TAC). This took place on Friday, 17 June 2022 at the much-jubilated graduation ceremony hosted by the college. The students were part of a team of nine and a class of 2019 intake who were identified from indigent households across the province. They were offered a bursary and a placed to study at TAC. The four have bagged their 3-year Diplomas of Agriculture in Irrigation on record time.
In 2019, after various engagements with young people, the North-West MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Desbo Mohono observed the interest of agriculture in many young people. The challenge, as raised by many at that time, was that of lack of funding to pursue their studies. It was then that she offered, through her office’s intervention, a bursary for those who were in dire need.
One of the students, from a group of four who graduated, is Nomalanga Sibinda from Pudumong village just outside Taung. Since finishing her matric, Sibinda said she struggled for some time as she did not have funds to pursue her studies. Although she had agriculture as one of her matric subjects, she did not consider it that much as her line of career. It was one of her former teachers who tipped her of MEC Mohono’s initiative and she grabbed the opportunity. “Whilst I was home, a teacher told me that MEC Mohono was talking in one her engagements about the desire to assist interested students to further their studies. I applied and I was fortunate to be accepted. I have a single parent who struggle to support me because of minimal job opportunities available and I was excited to get this opportunity, and this was also a relief to her,” Sibinda further explained.
Sibinda said her love for agriculture grew over time and she does not see herself anywhere besides in that field. She alluded that she is following (through digital media) a lot of young people who are in the field and are doing well. She is comfortable about the fact that many of these young people are modernising the sector thus creating a lot of interest for their peers especially females.
She asserted that agriculture was her home, and she was planning to make her mark within the sector with the acquired knowledge. The other four students who benefited and were graduating are Lesalagae Moranang from Lekubung in Zeerust, Zandi Dladla who also hails from Pudumong and Olebogeng Motshegare from Rustenburg.
MEC Mohono said she was proud to have made education accessible for these four kids. “These young people have managed to grab the opportunity and have completed their Diploma on record time. It is said that when you make education inaccessible, you make prosperity only possible for the already prosperous,” MEC Mohono said.
She further congratulated all the graduands and declared her pleasure at seeing young people acquiring knowledge irrespective of their challenges. “This is a special day for our children who have toiled the soil for about three tough years. These graduates are proceeding under tumultuous and boisterous times of COVID 19. They are rare breeds and we are proud of them, and this shows that our Taung and Potchefstroom Colleges produce not only students, but characters that can man-up and stand facing the entire world with its wrath,” MEC emphasised.
The Taung College of Agriculture hosted the 2022 ceremony and bid farewell to a total of 24 graduands with a total representation of 38% of whom were females and 62% males. All of them acquired a 3-year diploma of Agriculture in Irrigation.

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Issued by: Communication Services Directorate
Enquiries: Ms Emelda Setlhako
Tel: 018 389 5684 / Cell: 0 60 745 4020
Email: ESetlhako @nwpg.gov.za

MEDIA STATEMENT
Att: ALL EDITORS
Media Houses
Date: Tuesday, 21 June 2022

Mahikeng- In a quest to empower subsistence and smallholder farmers in the Province, the North-West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (NWDARD) has recently trained a group of farmers on potato production. The initiative is part of the NWDARD’s Food Security Strategic Plan (FSSP) of enhancing production through alignment with technologies and enhancing enterprise development for smallholder farmers. The training was provided by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and the department availed resources such as potato seeds, fertilizers and chemicals.
Potato production is one of the most expensive enterprises within the agricultural sector of South Africa with less than 1% of total production done by black farmers.
Speaking during the provincial potato harvest day function held in Ramatlabama last Wednesday 15 June 2022, MEC Mohono commended all the nine farmers for completing their training.
She further went on to say that the Department embarked on this initiative with the ARC with the aim of skilling the potential entrants to the potato industry. “It is researched that less than 1% of total production is done by black farmers due to high costs within the potato industry. So the Department took these nine farmers to help them unlock the potato industry and shake the status-qou a bit. As a department we are neither compromising nor taking chances when coming to food security measures throughout the entire province. “The high inputs costs should not deter our farmers to forge ahead because once in, rewards are much greater at the ultimate,” MEC Mohono expressed.
The training for these nine farmers consisted of theoretical and practical aspects.
The potato industry’s impact is not only of interest to the agricultural compass but overlaps to contribute towards the sustenance of life itself. It pushes towards contributing to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to “eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.”

Mosidi Morule of Ramatlabama is one of the beneficiaries of this programme. On behalf of all nine trained farmers, she thanked the Department and their mentors Dr Lerato Matsaunyane and Flip Steyn from the ARC. “We are grateful and appreciate what the department and the ARC has done for us. It was not an easy one but here we are today. We managed!” she expressed.
She went further to say they will use the knowledge they acquired from this training to mentor others.
From ARC, Dr Lerato Matsaunyane thanked the Department for coming up with such a good initiative that will not only see farmers being trained but will also contribute in making sure that there is enough food production and job opportunities that will be created if sustained.
The potato subsector has a potential to create sustainable employment opportunities for everyone along the value chain.
This programme aims to serve as a model to increase potato production in the North-West Province.
By empowering these farmers through relevant programmes, they could adopt a commercial mind-set which can unlock a powerhouse of rural development and food security in the province.
Plans are in place to support those that have just been trained and to train more in the future.

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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/Agriculture/Facebook:www.facebook.com/nwdard

MEDIA STATEMENT Att: ALL EDITORS
Media Houses Date: 30 May 2022

Mahikeng-MEC Desbo Mohono has committed that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will continue to provide support and resources to needy and deserving communities to fight poverty and hunger through the Department’s Food and Nutrition Programme. In the 2021/2022 financial year alone, the department through various agricultural food production initiatives, managed to support over3 600destitute households across all four districts as part of the poverty alleviation programme. “The Food and Nutrition Security Programmes could not have been possible without the produce from our very own institutions, being Kgora Farmer Training Centre and the Potchefstroom College of Agriculture.

The department has been producing seedlings and indigenous chickens granted to deserving households as agricultural production starter-packs. Food Security relief packages have been provided to needy rural households across the province in collaboration with the Department of Social Development” explained Mohono. The Department continues to prioritise the need to address the deteriorating food security in the North West which was exacerbated by the loss of employment and household income at the beginning of the pandemic. It is for this reason that the Department has developed the Integrated Provincial Food Security Strategy, which will be launched in the current financial year (2022/2023) through the Food Security Coordinating Council of the Premier.

“In our plans for 2022/23 financial year, the department will continue to pursue a ward-based approach, where vulnerable households are targeted. To date, the department has developed its Integrated Food Security Provincial Implementation Plan, which categorises food security initiatives that would be implemented with a total of R16 million earmarked to target 3 040 households and subsistence producers,” said MEC Desbo Mohono. The MEC added that the department will be working in collaboration with the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) to roll out the Potato Production Programme of which ten hectors (10ha) is currently under production with harvesting underway. This programme fits into the Food Security Strategy and the Department plans to expand production at identified sites with 200ha per farmer of the 11 farmers in the next production season starting September 2022. For assistance or to get more information on this programme, community members are encouraged to enquire with their Agricultural Local Area Offices.
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Issued by the Communication Services Directorate
Enquiries: Ms EmeldaSetlhako
Tel: 018 389 5684
Cell: 060 745 4020
Email: ESetlhako@nwpg.gov.za
Website:www.nwpg.gov.za/Agriculture/
Facebook:www.facebook.com/nwdard

MEDIA STATEMENT Att: ALL EDITORS Media Houses

Date: Monday, 23 May 2022

Mooifontein -The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development commemorated Provincial World Bee Day last Wednesday, 18th May 2022 in Mooifontein under the theme, “Bee engaged: Build back better for bees”. Currently, the provincehas thirty-three (33) active and registered beekeepers of which most have been assisted with equipment and training by the department. Sello Nthoesane, is one of those apiculture (bee-keeping) farmers that have been assisted by the NWDARD. He has received training funded by the Department on beekeeping management.He expressed his gratitude towards the Department’s effort in supporting apiculture farmers in the province. He also encouraged new entrants into the industry to use the opportunity afforded by government wisely and he offered himself to assist those that need information and skills on the industry standards and requirements. Beekeepers who attended the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) training were awarded Certificates of Competence for a course that comprised of recognising defensive behaviour in animals; observing and handling of animals as well as selecting, using and caring for hand tools and basic equipment as well as infrastructure.

On the day MEC Desbo Mohono handed over five (5) brooding boxes to Kenalemang Mooketsi from Lichtenburg who started beekeeping in 2018. “I am excited about the new equipment that I received today from the Department. I hope that it will continue to assist many others like myself who are committed to growing in this sector and dedicate their time to their businesses. This shows that the vision of empowering women in agriculture will be realised through the hard work of MEC Mohono” said Mooketsi. Presentations during the commemoration day, included Bees and the Environment; Beekeeping as a business; Regulatory Framework on Bee Keeping; Marketing, Processing, Packaging, Compliance and Certification. In her address, MEC Mohono said the Department will be behind all farmers who are showing interest in and are keen in their endeavour of improving their lives. “As a province we are fully behind our bee farmers, and we further promise that this will not be the last gathering of this magnitudein regards to bee-keeping.

As the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, we have done our research and realised that indeed bee farming is worthy and course for our people. As a Department, our intension is clear about bee farming. We intend to mitigate problems our people are facing by creating employment, alleviating poverty in rural communities and providing investment opportunities to small and medium bee farmers,” MEC Desbo Mohona expressed. PICTURE CAPTION: IMG – 1545: MEC Desbo Mohono has vowed to support beekeepers in the province with the objective of developing them to commercial status.

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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/Agriculture/

Facebook:www.facebook.com/nwdard