MKHUHLU – It’s not all rosy for small-scale farmers in the Bushbuckridge area and they are hoping that the MECs for agriculture and education, Mr Andries Gamede and Ms Reginah Mhaule, would heed their cry for intervention. Pleading on behalf of the farmers, Mr Collen Ndlovu of the Bambanani Primary Cooperation told Mpumalanga News that ever since the school feeding-scheme service providers were appointed, things have taken a turn for the worse.
“We used to supply schools with our products but ever since there are middlemen, it’s no longer easy because they do not buy from us anymore,” said Ndlovu.
According to Ndlovu, the previous agriculture MEC, Ms Violet Siwela had put farmers on a six-month trial period where they would supply schools in the area with vegetables and things went well.
“When Gamede came into office, he changed everything and service providers were introduced. Although he urged them to buy from us, it’s no longer happening,” he added.
Ndlovu also said that the various companies complained about the prices of cabbage they sold to them and even though farmers reduced the price, they still owed them millions of rand.
He further stated that the farmers had planted vegetables in the hope that they would be supported by the government, but now they did not have a market for their products.
“We have wasted a lot of money and now we have to feed pigs and cattle with our produce since no one is buying. We cannot solely depend on the local market since we have a lot of products that we planted thinking we’ll supply to feeding schemes,” he said.
Ndlovu and the other farmers say they wish they can be given a chance to supply schools directly.
“Our farms had created quite a number of jobs for unemployed youth and the youngsters were displaying interest in farming but now we cannot sustain them since we do not have a market for our vegetables,” concluded Ndlovu.
