R7 million to be invested in 59 hectare project

Rural development took a huge step forward for the community of Ncise in the Eastern Cape with the opening of the Mthatha Airport Agriculture Service.

The project was officially opened by MEC Mbulelo Sogoni in Ncise yesterday. The management of Mthatha Airport has leased 59 hectares of land to local people to use to plant vegetables such as cabbage, onions, spinach and lettuce.

Maas employs 20 people from Ncise who are being trained in agriculture and the water is supplied by the local municipality.

The project has been funded by Kagiso Enterprise Rural Private Equity Fund at R4,2million. The department of agriculture and rural development contributed R1,4million and another R1,4million came from individuals from the OR Tambo District Municipality.

Already the first harvest has been collected and sold to a local supermarket.

Project manager Fezeka Mkile said Maas was a big breakthrough for the community.

"Through the project people get skills on how to plant even their own gardens at home. It also provides jobs to the unemployed," she said.

"Our community is also buying our produce."

But Mkile said there were also challenges.

"Our biggest challenge is water. We want to get water from the Mthatha dam to the facility. We have boreholes and our intention is to have our own reservoir on the premises," she said.

Mkile said the next phase, to produce tomatoes, has already begun.

Paballo Makosholo of Kagiso Trust said: "We cultivate rural economic participation and ownership by commercialising sustainable business models.

"These businesses must lead to job creation and skills transfer to previously disadvantaged individuals."

Sogoni said: "The future of this initiative is in good hands because it is run by the community."