August 25, 2005
By Rose Setshoge
SPREADING its reach further afield, the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market (JFPM) has opened its doors to small scale farmers from Limpopo, who are being taught how the market functions.
With the JFPM, the Limpopo department of agriculture and the Limpopo Agricultural Development Programme, have organised an educational tour for the province's smallholder farmers, called Producer Guide to the Fresh Produce Market.
The tour is free, and farmers are taught about packaging, branding, distribution, pricing strategies, the value of supply and demand and how the market functions. After attending, they will be given certificates from the department.
Bernard Magabe, the chief executive of the JFPM, welcomed the first visiting farmers by encouraging them to continue planting, as people continue eating. He also reassured them that their produce was important to the people.
"The market is looking at awarding the farmers with certificates of attendance in the near future," Magabe said.
It expects 50 farmers from Limpopo every month until December. The next tour dates are 16 September, 5 October, 18 November and 3 December.
The Urban Farmers Agency, operating in the JFPM, has signed a contract with the Limpopo agriculture department to run the tours within the JFPM. After the December tours, the agency will sell the farmers' produce in the market.
There are 300 smallholder farmers and 500 commercial farmers in Limpopo. By June 2006 Ladep aims to approach 300 new farmers and 400 extension officials to undertake the JFPM tour.
"We are happy to see our products on demand and feel that we can go home and do some work," said Josephine Sebola, another of the farmers.
Meanwhile, in Limpopo, a number of villages are taking part in a provincial agriculture department project, whereby Ntobi Seleka Agricultural College selects representatives from each project to receive free agricultural education.
These representatives then return to the projects in their villages, to apply the skills and teach other project mates. Each village chief provides 1 000 hectares to the farmers; the land transfer is authorised by the national Department of Land Affairs.
These farmers plant a variety of vegetables, including cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and spinach.
After all the December tours, a competition will be run by the Urban Farmers Agency to choose the name for Limpopo smallholder produce, supplied by the project farmers.
Each project needs to brainstorm a meaningful name and submit it to Ladep and the agency. The winning name will be used at the JFPM for marketing.
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