By National Development Agency
Thursday 23 May 2024, QwaQwa, Free State –Today MVC Agricomologitic (MCVA) Cooperative celebrated the long-awaited handover of a tractor, potato planter and harvester to the value of R1 525 487, 80 from the National Development Agency (NDA).
The farming equipment will go towards expansion of their potato production operation, creating more jobs and providing sustainable livelihoods for the community of Tsheseng village and beyond. MCVA is a registered agricultural cooperative that was established in 2013 to address issues of unemployment and rural food security at Tsheseng Village, under the Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality.
At the handover ceremony today, Mayor Masetjaba Mosia, delegated by the Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu, said “The investment made by the NDA is appreciated, we are keen on creating more jobs in the municipality at all times.” The availability of Expanded Public Works Programme in the municipality will enable the Cooperative to access additional funds to pay the 50 workers that will be employed by the Cooperative.
Morena Sebidi Molefe of Dinkoeng Tribal Authority also welcomed the service delivery initiative and equipment that will bring about much needed jobs in his village. “The MCVA project has a huge potential to create the much-needed job opportunities for unemployed youth at Tsheseng and surrounding villages throughout the production cycle, starting from land preparation, planting, weeding, harvesting, and packaging,” said Mr Lesedi Piki, the NDA Free State Provincial Manager.
The Cooperative is awaiting on an advanced application from the Land Bank of South Africa for 184 hectares of land on which they hope to operate from in Kestell. Potato SA, through their Enterprise Development Project, has provided 25 hectares of potato seeds to the Cooperative. Other organisations that have contributed to the Cooperative include the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Free State Development
Corporation and Agricultural Research Council.
MCVA Director, Mr Qenehelo Mavuso, “We started the potato production in 2013 and we have grown immensely as Farmers. Our goal is to grow and become a meaningful operation that contributes towards economic transformation in the Free-State and beyond. This contribution will go a long way to help us achieve this goal. The key challenge is the acquisition of land for us, we have been leasing for all these years. When we have our own land, we can definitely thrive. Farming is hard when you have challenges of water and the lack of equipment. Our patience has paid off, we have been patient to receive this funding and complied to all the necessary processes.
The NDA has made a total investment of R5 177 484.23 in the Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality – for capacity building training, the volunteer programme, CARA GBV programme and grant funding in the last five years.
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