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NKOMAZI COTTON PROJECT

INFORMATION DAY & CERTIFICATION CEREMONY

On 27 June 2017, the Department of Agriculture, Rural
Development, Land and Environmental Affairs: Mpumalanga
(DARDLEA) presented a cotton information day at Khombaso,
Nkomazi Local Municipality, Mpumalanga. Under supervision
of Ms Zanele Mpangane and her team this day had something
special about it. Mr V.R. Shongwe MEC of DARDLEA
accompanied by Senior officials, presented the keynote address
after a visit to the fields of local small-holder cotton farmers.

any cotton farmers involved in reflects the tenacity of the Nkomazi
Mthe project attended the day small-holder cotton farmers, farming
and enjoyed the deserved on plots of between 1 and 10 ha. The
accolades from all the speakers in farmers worked extremely hard and it
recognition of their hard work. As was not uncommon to find Nkomazi
proof, outside the large venue tent cotton farmers in their fields at 05:00
there were several in the morning and
hundred bales of working late during
cotton ready to be planting time.
transported to the
cotton gins at The day also served as
Jozini and Marble a certification ceremony
Hall. for 40 local small-holder
farmers who recently
Mr Tertius Schoeman, recently successfully attended Cotton SA's Mr Mtsweni demonstrating the operation of a mini cotton gin to
appointed by Cotton SA as Agriseta accredited training course. the MEC Mr Shongwe and Ms Mpangane of DARDLEA.
Agriculture Development and Mr David Mtsweni, manager of Cotton
Transformation Manager, was SA's small-holder training program,
involved in the Nkomazi Cotton oversaw the handing over of the
Project as a mentor since 2014, certificates with the MEC, Mr Shongwe
although on a much smaller scale doing the official handing over. The
than today. With financial farmers appreciated the recognition of
assistance from DARDLEA and The their achievements in front of the
Dept. of Rural Development and audience of over 500 people who
Land Reform (DRDLR), 718 attended the ceremony. A small mini
farmers during the 2016/17 season cotton gin serving as a scale model of
planted a total of 2 767 ha of how a cotton gin operates, was also
dryland cotton (1 460 ha of which skilfully demonstrated by Mr Mtsweni
were planted by hand and the to the MEC, senior officials and
balance by means of mechani- farmers.
zation). An estimated 2 200 tons of
seed cotton have or will be
harvested, all by hand. This Mr Shongwe MEC, DARDLEA, handing over certificates to
cotton farmers with Mr Schoeman of Cotton SA on the right.
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