04 Jan 2018

The poverty eradication horticulture project in Mahalapye has yielded some positive results with its first harvest of green pepper in December 2017.

 Despite experiencing some minor challenges at its initial stage, the over P23 million project started taking shape in October 2017.  

The project include a water treatment plant, fencing and debushing of a 40-hectare horticulture field. 

Poverty Eradication coordinator for Mahalapye and Palapye regions, Ms Kagiso Senthufe revealed in an interview that the project started in 2015 with the construction of a treatment plant for cleaning water from the sewerage ponds and fencing of the ploughing field.

 So far, she said 15 hectares had been cleared and partly lined up with irrigation system.  

Ms Senthufe explained that 25 beneficiaries started with the project of which only 14 were still active, while others had given up along the way. She said the beneficiaries were supposed to have been assisted with back yard gardens.

“The horticulture project can cater for up to 55 beneficiaries. We are still recruiting more from the list of those approved to benefit under Poverty Eradication programme,” she added.

Ms Senthufe said the project started with ploughing a hectare of tomatoes and green pepper in October 2017. She however said the project initially experienced shortage of water due to challenges at the treatment plant and therefore tomatoes failed .

She also added that since the project was located outside the village, it was difficult for some of the beneficiaries to make it there by foot. She said the District Administration and Department of Crop Production did all in their power to assist beneficiaries with transport. 

She explained that the beneficiaries also received technical support and mentorship. She urged the beneficiaries to be committed in order for the project to be successful. 

Ms Senthufe said her office had engaged the business community to support the project. 

The project coordinator also added that at present, the beneficiaries were working as a team and as such making it easy to avail transport that would transport their harvest to the market. 

“They are selling as a group and share profit evenly,” she said, adding that the beneficiaries were encouraged to open bank accounts and save the little that they received. She said in the near future, each beneficiary would be allocated a piece of land to cultivate. 

She further added that the beneficiaries were also encouraged to establish an association to manage the project.

 Ms Senthufe said it was advisable for the beneficiaries to plan ahead so that they could utilise the skills they acquired from the project to run their own horticultural projects. After five years, she said a person should graduate from Poverty Eradication scheme.

“I am hopeful that through commitment of beneficiaries, the project is bound to be a success story,” she said.

 Ms Senthufe further advised the few beneficiaries that were left behind to be patient .

 She said all expenses were on government and therefore it would be unfortunate to see the project failing only because beneficiaries were not committed. ENDS