‘‘Communities, farmers and society in general should not take farming as a pass time activity or social responsibility of some sort, farming means business and it’s business’, Limpopo MEC for  Agriculture, Mr Jacob Marule indicated during a two  day  Outreach Programme in Sekhukhune District held on 15 and 16 May 2012. 



On the first day, the programme was held at Tompi Seleka College where farmers from   Makhuduthamaga, Ephraim Mogale and Elias Motsoaledi Municipalities discussed agricultural issues in Sekhukhune District with the MEC. Farmers from Fetakgomo and Tubatse Municipalities were afforded the same opportunity at Sekhukhune FET College on the second day.

The MEC encouraged farmers to continue providing food security in spite of challenges and assured them that his Department would assist them where possible. Marule advised farmers to form agricultural cooperatives. He said cooperatives could help farmers collectively. He said farmers and the community at large should know that Agriculture was a business and not a social responsibility.

Concerning the Outreach Programme, Ms Jane Thupana, the General Manager for Farmer Settlement and Agribusiness Development said the Department consulted farmers to live up to its motto which says ‘Nothing for us without us’. She said the Department wanted to listen to the farmers on the ground and exchange ideas on how government could assist them.

Farmers highlighted challenges they were facing; lack of land and agricultural implements such as tractors, seeds and fertilizers. The main complaint was the lack of water and utilisation of agricultural land for other purposes.