CITY ASSISTS COOPERATIVES AND SUBSISTENCE FARMERS TO END HUNGER

The City of Ekurhuleni programme to eradicate poverty through self-sustenance, dubbed Fetsa Tlala, is making notable progress in creating food security for benefiting communities. The city helps beneficiaries with establishing home-based food gardens and viable cooperative food gardens.

Reflecting on the progress made since the launch of the programme in December last year, the MMC for City Planning and Economic Development Ald. Nomadlozi Nkosi said:

“The programme is delivered with the assistance of our formidable partners – Hya-Matla Organics, a company that harvests hyacinth from the city’s water bodies and converts it into organic fertilizers. Through the partnership, 2000 bags of fertilizers in 40kg units have been donated, reaching about 100 beneficiaries linked to cooperatives the city works with,” explains Ald. Nkosi. 

The fertilizers are also distributed to council-owned farms, clinics with food gardens, schools and community gardens that help to eradicate food shortage and hunger in many households. 

The fledgling farmers received AgriSETA-accredited training along with a plant production training from Dicla Training and Farming to secure their competitiveness in the farming business.

To date, a total of 33 cooperatives have been granted five-year land-user agreements to conduct agricultural production at Spaarwater Incubation Farm in Nigel which is used as an incubation hub for small-scale cooperatives.