The Eastern Cape Rural Development and Agrarian Reform department has announced a ground-breaking ,ten-year, multibillion-rand agreement with the department of Defence that will see black farmers supplying army bases with agriculture produce.
The department said the deal would not only benefit black small-scale farmers but would also create opportunities for unemployed agriculture graduates to produce and supply their agricultural products to the same military bases in the province.
Department spokesperson Mvusikhaya Sicwetsha said, the departments would identify, develop and implement commercial agriculture programmes in the province, and black smallholder farming enterprise through commercialization programs. “Both departments will identify black producers, processors and entities that will produce agriculture products to be bought by the department of Defence for their bases in the Eastern Cape, creating market linkages within the defence department procurement.
Rural Development acting head of department Bongikhaya Dayimane said the agreement was a huge milestone. “The agreement presents an opportunity for smallholding farmers to now aggregate their produce and supply all the military bases in the province. “They will now be in the database of the defence department, and when the defence force requires food, they will be able to tender. The department and the farmers said the agreement was a huge opportunity for the department and farmers. “The partnership goes beyond just procurement, it also provides an opportunity to work together to support farmers, both from production, processing and markets so that’s the significance of this to the province,” he said.
The General Officer Commanding SA Army Support Formation Major-General Mzikayise Joseph Tyhalisi, said they got their supplies from the private sector and mostly these were big commercial farms that did no talk to the participation of the previously disadvantaged. “We have just been given unique opportunity as the military to actually assist in the development of the province and we hope that through this we will add value to the education that has been conferred on these graduates, e specially the girl child,” he said. He said having signed the deal, they and rural development department would make a difference as government entities.
