CHEVY CHASE’S BIG PLANS TO EXPORT IN EUROPE
The Chevy Chase landcare programme will become a “gold mine” that would sell its products in the European countries because of the dedication of its members and their partners, MEC for the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) Nomakhosazana Meth heard.
The MEC was at Chevy Chase project in Mt Fletcher where DRDAR has spent a whopping R6 million in the project that seeks to preserve land and commercialise forestry through the department’s landcare programme.
Long-time member and secretary of the project, Zoleka Magcayi said the project, which has 24 employees, was initiated by the community in 2010 under difficult conditions where they were using “only one chain saw and normal bush cutters” to eradicate wattle trees.
MEC Meth delivered implements, equipment and inputs that included two tractors, two planters, two boom sprayers, chainsaws, brush cutters, production inputs and fencing material that will cover 6 kilometres.
“We are very happy with the progress we are making and the government support has been enormous. The forest project we started has given birth to twins in the form of livestock development because we are also planting grass for our livestock and now we venture into maize production.
“This will be a rural firm that will create jobs for our children and by doing this we are also creating a legacy for our great grandchildren,” said Magcayi, who is popularly known as “Queen Elizabeth” during an interview.
Besides DRDAR, the project is working with the Msonti NGO that is assisting communities to be commercial farmers and it is this NGO that assisted the community to approach DRDAR to provide fencing, assist in eradication of wattle and plant grass for livestock.
During an interview Msonti NGO member, James Valentine spoke about the big plans of the project that included production of charcoal from the wattle and “that product has a guaranteed market in Europe.”
“The government’s intervention to this programme is making it big,” said Valentine whose NGO is supporting four communities in the province and three communities in Kwa-Zulu Natal .
He said the intervention will see the plantation of 120ha of “special grass” for animals, planting of 450ha of pine trees as well as 5ha of maize that will be planted using conservation agriculture in a project that has employed 24 people and aims to add 12 more in the “near future.”
Chairperson of the project Mbulelo Landule, when speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries echoed Magcayi’s sentiments, saying the project was “wealth.”
“Government is supporting us so that we can develop and make money, this is a gold mine and if we work hard like we do we will be wealthy.
“Our children won’t have to go to big cities to seek employment, job opportunities will be here,” said Landule.
MEC Meth said she was “proud about the dedication and determination showed by this community and I am sure your dreams of having a sawmill will be realised because of your work hard,
“With your vision and passion I can see ,you know what you want. Your dream about commercialisation of forestry will be definitely fulfilled and we want projects like these in our bid as government to commercialise agriculture,” Meth said.