BY REGINALD KANYANE

Farmers in the North West province are ready to hit the ground running. This follows the department of Rural, Environment and Agricultural Development (READ) launching the 2016 cropping season. 

North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo said the launch was set to provide a platform for government to debut the planting season and to announce its assistance to subsistence farmers in the province. 

Mahumapelo lauded the department initiative and emphasised that the Manamolela community and other local communities needed it. 

He said it was imperative for the province to be robust in its Villages, Townships and small dorpies. 

Mahumapelo further said he was hopeful for more rain and more opportunity for produce and as this was going to create more jobs. 
“The department entered into service level agreement with beneficiaries. It is hoped that farmers would embrace the agreement which truss beneficiaries to cease 10% for storage.”

About 500 farmers from Tswaing local municipality assembled to witness the event held at Manamolela village on Wednesday.

“We joint forces with the national Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. We have also set aside R38 million on Crop Massification programme for the 2016/17 financial year. 

“Each famer is set to receive crop inputs for both Sunflower and Maize (Seed, Fertilizer, Chemicals and fuel) for 50 hectares of land each. This is equivalent to R350 000 spend on each farmer, Manketse Tlhape said. 
Some of beneficiaries of the project, Lydia Setlhare and Badirwang Lekgetho who have been in farming for over a decade said they were grateful at the support. 

Setlhare said government has been doing a lot to help farmers and urged her colleagues to begin to do things for themselves. She further said the rain received also motivates them to prepare for a cropping season hoping for a better harvest. 

Lekgetho said: “It was good that government was proceeding with support despite drought. We trust that this year is better than the previous one.

“We are happy that government has come back to offer its much needed assistance,” he concluded      
240 farmers across the province are set to benefit from this provincial initiative. In all, the Letsema Le Bolotse 2016 cropping season programme covers 10 000 hectares of land.

MEC Manketsi Tlhape also encouraged farmers to yearn to grow to greater heights. She said the assistance was meant to give them a start with an anticipation to have them grow to commercial level. 

“Letsema le Bolotse was to urge farmers not to expect government to be lone contributors. Farmers need to be key partners in growing agriculture and making it a key economic factor in the province,” she said.

Tlhape further urged the farmers to use silos for grain storage.

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