Gauteng Farmers
The Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment has issued an open call to emerging farmers in various sectors to apply for much-needed funding.
The initiative is part of the Department’s mandate to bolster agriculture within the province, with the aim to enhance job creation and address poverty. Emerging farmers in the domains of poultry, piggery, grains, vegetables, red meat, cannabis, aquaculture, rabbit, bee farming and agri-processing are among those invited to apply for the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP).
Applications for the grant are open until the coming Friday and form part of a strategic effort to ensure sustainable food security across Gauteng. Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Mbali Hlophe, emphasised the programme’s inclusivity when she stated, “We are making a call to the historically disadvantaged and the vulnerable groups, our women, youth and people living with disabilities to apply for the farmer support grant and become part of our relentless fight against food insecurity.” The farmer support programme, as outlined by Hlophe, is designed to propel Small Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME) farmers forward, providing them with the backing they need to flourish in their farming endeavours. The province’s relief programme has a track record of success, with an average of 250 beneficiaries per year being integrated into the mainstream economy since its inception in 2004. This once-off annual subsidy is intended to spread its benefits among a diverse group of recipients, ensuring a significant and equitable impact. Ensuring that the process remains transparent, the applications will undergo scrutiny by an independent evaluation and adjudication panel, consisting of economists, animal scientists, crop scientists, engineers, and food scientists. However, there are several critical conditions that applicants must meet, which include a signed and dated application form, proof of business registration on the farmer’s registers, a South African Certified ID (not older than three months), valid confirmation of land tenure or ownership, ongoing farming activities, the potential of the farming operation to create jobs, and provision of an Environment Impact Assessment certificate, where necessary. Prospective applicants can submit their completed forms and satisfy the requirements via email to: GDARDFARMERSUPPORT@gauteng.gov.za, or collect forms at any of the designated satellite offices across Gauteng, including Germiston, Vereeniging, Temba, and Bronkhorstspruit.