APEMO encourages dagga farming among rural women

APEMO is calling on all rural women in KwaZulu-Natal to embrace dagga farming in their agricultural activities.

According to a national news outlet, the organisation made this call by the during its Women Day event held in Newcastle.

The economic prospects of dagga cultivation could offer substantial contributions to employment and growth after the Constitutional Court ruled to decriminalise the use of ‘weed’ for personal use in 2018.

“We call upon women to use this opportunity to uplift themselves and fight poverty,” said Apemo leader Vikizitha Mlotshwa.

Mlotshwa, who is also the mayor of Okhahlamba (Bergville),  an area known for its illegal dagga farming Bergville, has previously spoken on their application to have licences for their dagga planted and sold within the framework of the law.

Mlotshwa stated that historically, rural women have used dagga farming as a way of providing financial support to their families.

He went on to say that they were previously challenged by law enforcement agencies because dagga farming was illegal, but now that private and personal use of dagga has been decriminalised, women can openly cultivate and trade legally.

“You can trade dagga for medicinal purposes and sell it to prominent pharmaceutical companies,” Mlotshwa continued.

The decriminalisation of dagga has increased commercial interest, with the Department of Agriculture developing a cannabis master plan to drive crop commercialisation.

The plan calls for people to be licensed to sell it to the formal market for processing for medicinal purposes.

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