31 May 2021

Supply of farm produce to primary schools in Kgalagadi has improved when compared to the last financial year, Tsabong Sub-district Council chairperson, Mr Ronald Baitsewe has said.

Speaking during the virtual sub-council ordinary meeting recently, Mr Baitsewe said the provision of ‘letlhafula’ products has seen a significant increase. 

He noted that the number of farmers supplying schools with green mealies and watermelons has increased. 

The supply, he said, was evenly spread and that 46 farmers reached out to all schools, including the BORAVAST cluster which comprises of Bokspits, Rappelspan, Vaalhoek and Struizendam.

Cllr Baitsewe said they were achievements that would drive the nation towards food security and self-sufficiency. 

He noted that a record P130 769 was paid to farmers who had supplied the schools. He encouraged councillors to inspire more farmers in their wards to produce more.

However, he expressed concern that horticultural farmers in the area were not producing enough to meet demand for vegetables in schools and the district.

 He called for increased production and facilitation of farmers to undertake vegetable production. 

On other issues, Omaweneno/Kisa/Maralaleng councillor said the primary school feeding programme was continuously undergoing changes to optimise the delivery of food commodities. 

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development directed that the supply of sunflower cooking oil and fresh milk be transferred from the Department of Food Resource Services to local authorities.

Therefore, he said, the sub-district would provide primary schools with sunflower oil and fresh milk. He highlighted that they were monitoring the transfer process to ensure that there were no lapses and gaps in the supply of such commodities.   

In an interview, Tsabong Sub district Council principal education secretary, Mr Tshephang Orekeng said they served 25 primary schools in the sub-district, and that they have bought a good supply of fresh produce from local farmers. He said for the past three years since 2018 they have not been able to spend the agricultural produce budget which was set aside for the procurement of farming produce because there was insufficient produce.

Over the years, he said the maximum amount spent on procurement of fresh produce was P50 000 against a seasonal budget of P260 000. 

The funds, he said, ended up being channelled towards the COVID-19 Relief Fund. To deal with the challenge, he said they worked with the Department of Crops who notified farmers of the funds to reassure them that their produce would be bought by government for schools.

Furthermore, Mr Orekeng said the primary schools feeding programme included weekly purchases of vegetables such as rape, spinach and cabbage, but that they were not enough. He encouraged farmers to produce more in order to benefit from the government’s purchasing power.

“We only have 12 local horticultural farmers who produce spinach, cabbage and rape. They can only meet the demand of about 48 per cent of what is required,” he stated. 

Meanwhile, he said the primary schools feeding programme included eggs and that it was the only area where they were able to receive 100 per cent delivery in all 25 primary schools. 

He noted that 45 poultry farmers supplied eggs in the required quantities. ends