Female farmers celebrated at annual award ceremony
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), in partnership with the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform and Total South Africa, recently hosted the annual Female Entrepreneur Awards (FEA) in East London.
LIMPOPO – A Lipopo resident, Selina Mphedziseni Mulovhedzi, won the Ministerial Award for Disabled Female Entrepreneurs and said she was elated to receive the honour. “I thank the government for honouring me. It shows that they care about farmers.”
She also thanked the community for their continued support.
So far she had already employed 10 people within her nursery. She said she started her nursery in 2007 after developing a passion for farming.
The DAFF Minister, Senzeni Zokwana, said the awards continue to honour women entrepreneurs in the sector through the DAFF FEA programme which recognises the efforts and contribution of women, young females and women with disabilities for the role they play in food security, poverty alleviation, job creation and economic growth in the sector.
Zokwana said the country is currently gripped by the discourse around the amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution in order to give unambiguous clarity on the land expropriation without compensation initiative as part of social redress.
“The return of land ownership in our communal areas and in other non-urban areas must result in women being the biggest beneficiaries so they can use the land for food security and start their small scale farming and value chains.
“Land ownership has been an impediment to the rural economy in which women are actively involved through agriculture,” Zokwana added.
Zokwana said the department is tasked with the development and support for mechanisms of training, mentorships and other forms of hand-holding exercise for those who will benefit in the accelerated land reform project.
This, she explained, has the aim to ensure productive land continues to produce food and expand the number of agricultural participants, in the process creating more jobs.
The awards theme was ‘Women economic empowerment – a priority in the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries sector’.
For more breaking news visit us on ReviewOnline and CapricornReview or follow us on Facebook or Twitter
