June 4, 2004
By Ndaba Dlamini
A FRESH approach by the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market (JFPM) to create jobs and sponsor disadvantaged members of the community has been hailed as a turning point by the market's social investment manager, Tumi Pitse.
"My job is to see to it that our social responsibility to give something back to the community is achieved," said Pitse, who took up her position in February. "We are where we are today because of farmers and buyers who keep the wheels of the market turning."
Believed to be the biggest fresh produce market in Africa, the JFPM started in the centre of Johannesburg in 1893 in what was then called Market Square, moved to Newtown in 1913 when the market expanded and has been at its present site in City Deep since 1972.
Explaining how the community drive started, Pitse said: "Since the beginning of 2004, 23 organisations representing disadvantaged communities from Tembisa, Alexander, the Diepsloot region and the West Rand have contacted the market for food handouts - HIV/Aids groups, crèches and schools from impoverished settlements."
A decision was taken to supply fresh fruit and vegetables to the value of R1 000 to each community. "The foodstuff will be distributed as soon as a proposal for funds we submitted to the financial department has been approved."
Another facet of the market's social involvement was providing temporary work for unemployed women from Diepsloot informal settlement.
Because of the size of the market (it occupies 63 hectares of property, with the three sales halls for vegetables, fruit and potatoes and onions measuring a total of 65 000m2), the constant flow of human and vehicular traffic and the large amount of discarded produce, the JFPM decided to hire 20 unemployed women from Diepsloot to augment the cleaning staff for the month of April.
The unemployed women were recruited through an agency that identified the most needy of the Diepsloot residents. "We hope to carry out more programmes in the near future," Pitse said.
In addition, as a token of goodwill, the market on 27 April provided delegates at the inauguration ceremony of President Thabo Mbeki with fruit baskets prepared by 10 Alexandra women hired through a recruitment agency.
"We do not only reach out to a select section of society, we offer services to all and sundry and we felt it was our responsibility to offer something as part of our contribution to the celebrations for 10 Years of Freedom," explained Pitse.
With over 35 000 people passing through the gates of the market each day and buyers from as far as Botswana and Angola, the current turnover of the market is over R1.6-billion and has a capacity "to handle over 400 railway trucks a day".
The market operates on a commission system where producers deliver their produce to market agents who then sell it. The market makes a five percent non-negotiable commission on the selling of all fresh produce, while market agents earn a negotiable seven and a half percent commission.
To demonstrate how it works, the market, in conjunction with the Community Public Private Partnership Programme (CPPP), held an Emerging Farmers' workshop on the premises in March.
The CPPP is an agency of the government's Department of Trade and Industry tasked with revitalising the economy by facilitating commercial partnerships between the community and business in deep rural areas, according to the development facilitator for Agribusiness and Forestry, Matome Kgowedi.
About 30 emerging farmers from all over South Africa were taught basic marketing skills and taken on a tour of the market. About 90 percent had never been to the market and, the workshop was an eye opener for them, Pitse said.
Inspired by these successes, Pitse's department has submitted a new proposal to be considered for the financial year starting in June. "As a new department, we have big plans ahead to further our commitment in contributing positively to society," she said.
The JFPM can be contacted on 011 613 2049 or log on to www.jfpm.co.za.
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