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20 August 2007

Women in agriculture seemed more determined to work hard and to do their bit in halving poverty and unemployment by 2014 when they attended the 9th Female Farmer of the Year Awards ceremony last week.

Held on Friday, 17 August 2007 in Bekkersdal, Westonaria, the ceremony was addressed by Gauteng MEC for Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, Khabisi Mosunkutu.

He said the awards were held annually during Women's Month to honour women who have braced hard conditions that prohibit most women from participating in agriculture. "The awards should serve as inspiration to young women to take part in the agricultural sector," said Mosunkutu.

The audience cheered as they watched videos of nominees working the land, relaying inspiring stories of hardship they had overcome in their journey, embarking in the agricultural industry.

The awards had four categories: top producer for the national market, top producer for the local market, top producer for the household market and top producer for the export market. The latter was cancelled because there were no nominees.

Yvonne Lesego Molefe from Pretoria was the winner in the national market category were and received a cheque of R50 000 to further her business. The second prize winner was Lorraine Bessie Pietersen from Orange Farm, who received R25 000, while the company Olikor CC pocketed the third prize of R15 000.

The Winnie Mandela Agricultural Project was the overall winner in the top producer for the local market category. Anita Morar and Nomasonto Priscilla Mbatha won the second and third prizes in the category respectively.

In the household market category, the Rethabiseng Food Garden Project collected the first prize. Other winners in the category were the Iswahina Project and Filadelfia Agricultural Project.

Mosunkutu said the province is aware of many challenges facing female farmers. "The conditions women are facing now are the same conditions that motivated them to get involved in the political struggle. Gender discrimination and remnants of the apartheid system still pose a challenge as many people are still unable to access land," he said.

Mosunkutu announced that his department is in the process of upscaling its various household food security programmes to reach 8 000 beneficiaries before the end of the current financial year.

He said the biggest challenge for government and many other individuals who want to get involved in the agricultural industry is lack of access to land. "There is no possibility that land cannot matter. People want houses and jobs. Land is the key in accessing all these demands." He said that the land question must be resolved in the current peaceful conditions.

"Foreign land ownership, the willing-buyer-willing-seller concept and exorbitant prices that are charged by land owners, are all issues that deter government progress in fast tracking service delivery," said Mosunkutu.

Head of Department at the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, Steven Cornelius, said 1 800 women have participated in the Gauteng Female Farmer of the Year Awards since its inception in 1999. "All these women have dared food insecurity and trials of chauvinism," he said.

West Rand Executive Mayor, Faith Matshikiza, said Gauteng should strengthen its assistance to female farmers. She also encouraged women to proactively participate in the agricultural sector to fight poverty and to create jobs.

"As women we should grab all opportunities that are provided by the province, we should reclaim our historical role as pioneers in food production as it had always been the case in Africa," she said.

Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, Gauteng Provincial Government
20 August 2007