Tag Archives: Environmental Affairs

600 farmers under one roof to unlock financial opportunities

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By AGISANG SCUFF

25 August 2025- The Northern Cape MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, Mase Manopole said they successfully hosted the Northern Cape Blended Finance Roadshow held at Flamingo View in Kimberley in collaboration with the National Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) and joined by the Land Bank, Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), under the theme: “Unlocking Inclusive Agricultural Development in the Northern Cape.”

Manopole said the event provided a platform to raise awareness of blended finance opportunities for farmers, improve access to affordable and sustainable finance, and foster meaningful engagement between policymakers, financiers, and farmers to explore innovative financing mechanisms aimed at addressing persistent challenges in the agricultural sector. She emphasised that blended finance, combining concessional public funding with private sector investment, was a strategic tool to bridge the agricultural financing gap. She noted that smallholder and emerging farmers often face barriers such as limited collateral, climate-related risks, and high production costs, making access to affordable credit difficult.

Manopole further said in the past year, over 1000 producers received training, 1300 subsistence farmers were supported with garden establishment packs, agriculture contributed R11 billion to the provincial GDP in 2023 as reported by Stats SA, and 13 000 new jobs were created in the Quarter 3 and Quarter 4 of 2024. She added that, looking ahead, the department aims to increase agriculture’s GDP contribution from 7% to 10%, support 60 land reform farms, train another 1,000 producers, and create 750 additional jobs in the sector.

“The road to agricultural prosperity is long, but it is not out of reach. When resilience meets opportunity, transformation follows. Through blended finance, we can unlock not only funding but the full potential of the Northern Cape’s agricultural sector.

“Over 600 farmers from all five districts of the Northern Cape attended the roadshow, welcoming it with open arms as a gateway to unlocking financial opportunities. The Roadshow concluded with a strong call for partnership and accountability, reinforcing that blended finance is not a hand-out, but a collaborative investment in sustainable agricultural growth and rural economic empowerment,” said Manopole.

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Manopole to lead series of impactful outreach activities

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Picture: Northern Cape MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, Mase Manopole

By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

17 July 2025- The Northern Cape MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, Mase Manopole, will on 18 July 2025, lead a series of impactful community outreach activities in Roodepan in honour of Nelson Mandela Day. Manopole said under the 2025 theme: “It’s Still in Our Hands to Combat Poverty and Inequity,” this initiative reaffirms the department’s unwavering commitment to social justice and active citizenship by directly addressing the needs of vulnerable communities across the Northern Cape.

“Mandela Day is a global call to action that reminds us all of our ability and responsibility to make a positive difference in our communities. It is in this spirit that the department has

curated a three-part programme that seeks to promote the spirit of humanity among citizens, support vulnerable households and uplift under-resourced areas through service delivery and social care.

“The day’s programme will unfold at a Community Soup Kitchen, where over 300 residents of Roodepan will be served a warm meal, offering not just nourishment, but a tangible reminder of collective compassion and support,” she said.

Manopole further said they will also visit the Household Garden Establishment in Lethabo Park, where 10 vulnerable homes in Lethabo Park Informal Settlement are identified and will be supported with garden tools and seeds.

“I will personally hand over the materials, launching household food gardens as a step toward long-term food security and self-sufficiency. In partnership with volunteers and departmental officials, we will visit the Refurbishment of Harvest Time Church afterwards.

“The Harvest Time Church is a home to many early childhood development activities that will be refurbished. This effort will restore dignity and improve the learning environment for young children and their Educators,” said Manopole.

She said they call on all residents, institutions and stakeholders to embody the spirit of Ubuntu and continue working together in the fight against poverty and inequality. Manopole said Mandela Day serves as a reminder that the legacy of Madiba is best honoured through action that transforms lives and restores hope.

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DA demands Northern Cape Dept of Agriculture to stop man made drought in Onseepkans

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Picture: A farming project in SA/Generic

By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

27 March 2025- The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Northern Cape urges the Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform to ensure that it properly hands over the irrigation system in Onseepkans to the Department of Water and Sanitation and fulfil necessary conditions to prevent a man made drought.

The DA Member of Provincial Legislature (MPL) in the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature, Reinette Liebenberg, who is also a spokesperson on Agriculture said, at departmental insistence, the former irrigation canal was replaced by a pump-driven pipeline system in 2014. Liebenberg said, but the quality of the pipeline’s construction is questionable and the filters are continuously clogged with sludge and other debris.

“This endangers water provision to the harvests of 162 emerging farmers and commercial agribusiness, including 110 hectares of raisins cultivated on communal land as well as export grape production, lucerne and dates.

“Despite departmental assurances that a solar farm would be established to power the pumps, commercial agribusinesses are still burdened with the costs of the Eskom account. It seems they are expected to pay indefinitely while the department does little to secure the promised solar power support,” she said.

Liebenberg further said understandably, commercial farmers want to withdraw from the arrangement. She added that this will affect maintenance of the pipeline and could worsen water supply constraints.

“The DA has repeatedly called the head of the department to engage with the Onseepkans Irrigation Board. It’s disappointing to learn that his intervention was limited to encouraging all roleplayers to find a workable solution, without any concrete answers on the table from the department.

“The latest Eskom bill amounted to nearly R600 000, which was brought to the department’s attention, with no response. If that is the departmental approach, we must ask when it intends fulfilling its own obligations of this deal?” she asked.

Liebenberg said she has submitted questions to the department to probe its intentions, including the status of handing over the project and contingency plans for water provision, if commercial farmers withdraw from the project. She said given the poor response from the department, she will also be escalating this matter to the premier.

“Farming is difficult enough. We cannot allow departments to make matters worse for farmers who keep the agricultural sector going and who play a key role in putting food on our tables,” said Liebenberg.

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