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14 October 2008

The Department of Agriculture (DoA) through its Minister Ms Lulu Xingwana will pay a special visit to the National Female Farmer of the Year Award winner's farm when she is in the province to commemoration both of the World Rural Women's Day and World Food Day.

The Minister is expected to make a major announcement during her visit to the farmer, Bongiwe Kali (27). Despite the huge announcement being kept under wraps, it will make both the award winner and the youth find strength to go forward.

Kali broke two records – first by becoming the youngest ever national overall winner and by being the first woman from the province to win overall award since the awards were initiated.

Her poultry farm situated in the deep rural village of Ntsheshe in Ngqamakhwe did not only break records but it also scooped the National Market Award in a national event in Cape Town.

The Minister and provincial MEC Gugile Nkwinti are excited by this achievement of a young woman and it is in this breath that a decision was taken for her to visit the village on her small award-winning poultry farm.

Ms Xingwana will be at the farm on 15 October 2008 after gracing the World Women's Day celebrations at Dutywa stadium where she is expected to articulate on how government programmes have elevated the livelihood of rural people through women empowerment.

To honour women, which make about a quarter of the world population, the national and provincial Departments of Agriculture and Land Affairs together with Women in Agriculture and Rural Development (WARD) will jointly have celebrations marking this day.

This year's theme "Climate change: rural women are part of the solution" is relevant because rural women form part of the solution. They can contribute towards fighting some of the effects of climate change through indigenous and sustainable agricultural practices.

The objectives of the World Rural Women's Day are to raise the profile of rural women; to sensitise government, private sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and more especially the public to their crucial and yet unrecognised role.

The 16 October 2008 event, the World Food Day celebrations, which also be held at Dutywa, will see the minister leading a march into the stadium to kick-start the celebrations to be held under the theme 'World Food Security and the challenges of climate change and Bio-energy.'

It is also in this event that the national, provincial departments as well its private and public stakeholders will build a massive "food mountain" comprised of all kinds of food and seedlings.

The mountain then will be distributed to the needy families who are very keen to plant the fields and gardens and in this way the department is reinforcing its call of producing our own food instead of waiting for hand-outs.

In this event, Siyazondla homestead gardens, tools will be distributed and Women in Agriculture and Rural Development (WARD) has assured the departments that they will make every effort to ensure the departmental strides to improve their lives are realised.

NB: Members of the media and prominent stakeholders including motivators and other influential agriculture role players are invited to attend both events.

Full details of the events are as follows:

Event: Rural Women's Day
Date: 15 October 2008
Time: 09h00
Venue: Dutywa Stadium

Event: World Food Day
Date: 16 October 2008
Time: 07h00
Venue: Dutywa Stadium

For further information contact:
Steve Galane
Cell: 083 636 7346
E-mail: DAIS@nda.agric.za

Thozi Manyisana
Cell: 082 494 3600
Cell: 073 263 3754
E-mail: thozi.manyisana@agr.ecprov.go.za

Issued by: Department of Agriculture
14 October 2008