LEVUBU – "The government will support all the farmers," said the MEC for Agriculture, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. He presented pesticides to Ms Tendani Sinoamadi of HillCrest Estate in Levubu last week. The ceremony was part of a function to honour Ms Sinoamadi, the winner of the Female Farmer of the Year Competition. last year.

Dr Motsoaledi emphasised the importance of the development of farming and said it is commendable that many women are excelling in farming. "For that reason, the government will assist our farming community", he added.

The products were donated by Bayer CropScience. The developing project leader of the company, Mr Israel Mashile, said it is his company's aim to take up the challenge to start agricultural developing projects throughout the country. They mostly targeted the emerging commercial farmers, especially from the historically disadvantaged communities.

Mashile added that the aim of the project is to encourage black commercial farmers to produce good quality products, by following a scientific agricultural approach, to maximise profit.

Speaking to Mirror, MEC Motswaledi revealed that, in the recent meeting of the Southern African Development Countries (SADEC), a resolution was taken that in the next five years, 10% of every country's budget would be set out to agriculture, to bring an end of hunger to the region. He commended Sinoamadi for managing the farm in a successful way, adding that the government would give the necessary support to farmers.

"I am impressed and happy about the role played by women in the agricultural sector in our province; that is why the national government was prompted to initiate the female farmer of the year competition, as another way of encouraging women to participate in farming," he said.

Ms Soinoamadi thanked the Department of Agriculture for establishing the competition and Bayer CropScience for giving her pesticides, so that she could produce quality products.

On the same day, the MEC met beneficiaries of the poverty alleviation project in the Vhembe District at Madzhivhandila College. He said that an amount of R170 million had been put aside to assist neighbouring countries in fighting hunger, while about R270 million had been given to the Health and Welfare, where 51 000 beneficiaries in Limpopo would benefit from it.

He said in identifying the poorest of the poor, the criteria would be that families that receive R200 or less per month would qualify to get food parcels.