HOEDSPRUIT: A piece of land for food security in Hoedspruit

DAILE Mafoko introduces his plan to improve food security in the Hoedspruit area.

In xiTsonga there is a phrase which says: “iNdlopfuyahina” which in loose English it could read, it is our Elephant.

Very often this phrase is used or heard where people are mobilizing themselves to address a particular social problem in their immediate society or environment.

By itself a call to get everybody involved towards a better solution to the problem regardless of gender, age and other social divides.

The same could be said of fighting poverty and hunger at Makgaung village which is located within Maruleng municipality outside Hoedspruit town in the Limpopo province.

Within such a prevailing environment, Daile Mafoko got inspired to act in what could only be explained as a humble and phenomenal beginning.

In 2011 he decided to face the challenge of food insecurity and joblessness in his area by using his grandfather’s 1ha piece of land which was found within the non-productive Makgaung irrigation scheme.

With the assistance of three workers he only managed to produce enough vegetables for himself and his assisting workers.

Seeing his determination to improve food security in the area, the traditional authority allowed him to increase his land size to 12ha.

By coincident the additional land used to be cultivated by his close relatives in the past. But just like many other pieces of land, they were no longer used for food production.

That allowed the youthful Mafoko’s idea of feeding the nation and creation of decent jobs to expand.

Today he has created twelve permanent decent jobs for local people.

Interestingly, the three workers who started the project with him in 2011 are still working on the farm.

Through perseverance and focus, Mafoko has managed to integrate vegetables which he produces to sell to both local and national market with chickens and goats.

“With goats which are now 160 my plan is to sell them at auctions which are being held at Rubbervale and other places. While chickens will be slaughtered for local buyers. And I have identified a potential market for this indigenous breed,” says the laconic youthful producer who in 2014 YARD (Youth in Agriculture and Rural Development)competition facilitated by the Limpopo Department of Agriculture, Land and Rural Development got position two at provincial level and position four in the same competition in 2016.

Makgaung village as with many of the surrounding villages’ water is a scarce resource.

Not only for domestic use but also for crop and animal production purposes.

Unbelievably, to meet his crop needs, this young producer in his creative thinking draws water from the mountain source which is 4km away from the production land.

In itself this is not at all safe as pipes are exposed to all sorts of risk as they are not buried under the ground.

A water source within or very near to the production area would be very much handy.

Farm implements also affect production progress.

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“Since my farm operations are growing, I would like to have feed processing implements to meet livestock feeding requirements. My goats handling facilities are just an improvise. A durable handling infrastructure would make matters easier for progressive farming,” explains the producer who has since become a beacon of hope and role model to young people in his area towards community development.