Over 100 women, farming livestock and producing crops, attended the seminar. Among them were stakeholders from various institutions ranging from the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), and South African Women in Farming with the aim to exchange ideas and share their challenges including market access, funding and networking.
In his opening address, the Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (LDARD) acting director for the Vhembe District, Masindi Maripa, encouraged the women to keep production up. “We grew up knowing that the job of our parents is to grow crops such as vegetables. For that reason, they were able to fight poverty,” said Maripa. Various programmes that are tailor-made to benefit women in the business space were unpacked from various institutions.
Also read: Mango farmers hampered by theft of fruit
Nkhumeleni Livhebe, deputy director of agri-business at the LDARD, presented a departmental overview and agricultural economic outlook. Emphasis was on extension services which, he said, bridges the gap between the department and farmers. He made it clear that they are responsible for promoting knowledge transfer and skills development as the foundation for an equitable, productive, competitive, profitable and sustainable agricultural value chain.
Programmes offered by the DALRRD were presented by Mditsheni Mashamba, deputy director in the Vhembe District. These included land development support, cooperative enterprise development, rural social infrastructure development, strategic land acquisition, tenure reform implementation and property management. Financial institutions also presented their funding programmes to support women.
