Progress Milling seeds for success
In 2016, Progress Milling was placed under business rescue and the threat for its closure would have affected almost 500 workers.
POLOKWANE – As part of the business rescue process, they trained 120 young women to produce grain and assist them to take part in the mainstream economy. The young women graduated on Thursday, 19 July, ready to boost the Limpopo economy through their new farming skills.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Acting MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Nandi Ndalane, said this occasion marked the relaunch of Progress Milling and its rescue from the doldrums.
“Your choice of name, Progress, would prove to be inspired as your history would illustrate. Progress Milling has always been a contributor to the economy of the province. What endeared Progress Milling to small-scale maize farmers and the community at large was its social responsibility programmes to alleviate the plight of communities and farmers in distress. You did this at the time when it was not in vogue, when it was not fashionable. When you could have remained in your comfort zone, you partnered with small-scale grain farmers to add value to their produce and, by extension, to the province and its people,” said Ndalane.
She said when grain producers were compelled to travel far outside the province at great expense to process their produce, Progress Milling set up a milling company right on their doorstep.
“This was why you cut costs. Progress Milling deals with approximately 14 000 small-scale farmers spread across Limpopo, who supply dry maize in exchange for maize meal for consumption in between seasons. Without a purposeful intervention, this programme is exposed to risk. To ensure sustainability, in November 2017 the Louis Dreyfus Foundation, through TechnoServe, moved in to intervene to train these small-scale farmers. Beneficiaries to this training initiative are predominantly women and youths. Trainees are taken through best agronomic practices on different key steps of maize production,” she said. She added since the inception of the project in 2017, 120 young women have been trained. “Armed with training, the young women registered cooperatives through which they trade. Thirty of the women have secured a 100 hectare piece of land to produce for Progress Milling, with 600 hectares identified for other trainee farmers to start farming. Progress Milling will make off-take agreements available for their produce and further collaboration with the Department for the programme to be rolled out to other areas,” she explained.
Progress Milling General Manager, Luke Bronkhorst, said Progress Milling has a reputation of giving back to the community.
“This graduation is about empowering people so they can be sub-sustaining. This is the best way to ensure the community can give back to Progress so Progress can assist in the development of farms. Not enough money is brought into the province for the development of farming. Progress looked at the potential and came up with something which will contribute to the community and empower people. It is the beginning of something great for Limpopo,” said Bronkhorst.
