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FS small scale farmers look to government for hope, relief

───   OLEBOGENG MOTSE 15:23 Fri, 11 Oct 2019

FS small scale farmers look to government for hope, relief  | News Article

Small-scale farmers occupying commonage land in the Free State are hopeful the provincial government will put measures in place to enable them to thrive in a competitive market.


The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the province is on Thursday 11 October hosting its inaugural commonage summit, in which MEC William Bulwane is addressing the farmers’ many concerns.

The various stakeholders in attendance at the Monate Nate Oa Phokeng Lodge in Bloemspruit include representatives from local municipalities and financial institutions who are there to assist in coming up with ways to manage commonages in the Free State.

While a lack of infrastructure, water facilities, and proper animal handling facilities are chief among the issues in the spotlight, Mangaung farmer, Badirile Ngonela, stresses the importance of having the department address the effects of climate change on the farming community in the province. Ngonela says the ongoing drought in Central South Africa remains a great concern. He says it is important that the provincial government provides some kind of relief to those who are struggling.

The spokesperson for the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Zimasa Leputla, says commonage farming is not properly regulated, making it important for municipalities in conjunction with the department to impose stricter legislation that will attempt to regulate this part of the agriculture sector somewhat.

Leputla attributes the absence of adequate infrastructure and proper animal handling facilities to the absence of regulation for this part of the agriculture industry. She reveals a substantial amount of the meat sold to local butcheries comes from commonage farmers, making it important that those with livestock look after it adequately.


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