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19 October 2006: World Food Day is Farmers’ Day

Ask the community of Quakeni Municipality about the World Food Day, they will tell you that they know the Farmers’ Day. Every year, Teba Development and its partner Lima Rural Development hold Farmers’ Days on the 17th October, which is also a World Food Day. This year’s Farmers’ day too place at Lusikisiki a small town of Qaukeni Local Municipality . The event attracted more than 200 farmers from the nearby villages. The event was held at the Lusikisiki Nursery, opposite St Elizabeth Hospital. The nursery was launched in the same day, and has been providing vegetable, forestry and fruit seedlings to the community since July 2006. The nursery is a partnership project amongst Teba Development, Lima and Sunshine Seedlings, and is funded by Lonmin. The nursery supplies seedlings to the nearby communities.

The event enabled farmers to share with each other their experiences and enabled suppliers of agriculture inputs to demonstrate their innovative products. Guest speakers were from suppliers such as Sunshine Seedlings, Sasol Fertiliser and the local authority.

One of the success stories told in the event is that of 51 year old, Mr. Thembinkosi Ntakumba, an emerging farmer situated 10 KM away from the nursery. Mr. Ntakumba is currently making R15,000 per week on vegetable sales, from his small portion of three hectares he planted. “I am happy to be part of the Farmers’ Day to share my experiences with the community. I am sharing my skills with others at the moment. I have assisted one teacher, who is 21 KM away from my garden. He is running his vegetable project successfully. I have become a wholesale in the local community. I supply street vendors, catering companies, schools and large retail stores such as Spar”, Mr. Ntakumba.

Mr. Ntakumba has employed eight people to work in his farm. He is able to support his three children and eight children from his two unemployed brothers from the proceeds of his farming. “I urge women to take commercial farming serious. Farming has brought gold to us. Let’s stop going to cities to look for money when our own land has wealthy of riches”, Mr. Ntakumba.