Dryland farmers in the Lwamondo area outside Thohoyandou have called on the government to assist them as they are using their meagre grant money for their farming activities.
Despite the odds, the nearly 2 000 farmers, mostly pensioners, are in a celebratory mood following one of the best maize harvest they are expecting this year. They are working under the umbrella of Lwamondo Dry Land Farmers and met at the offices of the local agricultural extension officer, Eric Ramaano, to celebrate their achievements last Thursday.
The group's chairperson, Mr Naledzani Mamphitha (73), said they were operating under very trying conditions without any financial or other support from the government. He said this had led to many giving up as they could not bear going back to the old style of tilling the land by using hand-held tools.
"We face many odds, such as the finances to buy seeds, pesticides, and fertilizer and the hiring of tractors, but we were more threatened when an outbreak of the disastrous fall armyworm was announced. We use our grants to finance our farming and we fear that all our grants would go down the drain if the worm attacked our crops as we could not even afford pesticides and other necessities. This did not affect us, and we only thank God for his mercy on us and are now having one of the best harvests in years."
He praised the hardworking agricultural officer, Mr Eric Ramaano, who encouraged them to buy the most improved maize cultivars, and it worked to their advantage. "He has been with us for years, even though his office is no longer safe as it is falling apart," he said.
Mamphitha further indicated that they had heard of programmes being rolled out in other parts of the country by the Department of Agriculture that assist farmers like them, but they had never received any help. He said they would be very happy if the government could assist them as that would encourage them to produce more food for the country.
"Agriculture is the backbone of the economy of this country and we are here, ready to work, but we need support.
He emphasised that if they could get their own tractor and grinding mill and start-up tools such as pesticides, seeds and fertilizers, they "could go far and ensure food security in the country".
Agricultural officer Eric Ramaano, who has been with the farmers for more than 30 years, said he was happy to work with such dedicated people. "We are now like a big family that support each other. These farmers know what they want, and they are always ready to learn new techniques."