ENGCOBO – The Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform(DRDAR) handed over a shearing shed in Nqancule Village, ENgcobo a shearing shed that consist of 7 425 litres dip plunge, stock handling equipment, wool pressers, sorting table, calssin bins, water harvesting tanks and an entire office.
This is to help improve the quality of wool by local farmers such as the Siyakha woolgrowers association.
DRDAR EC MEC Nonkqubela Pieters handed over a shed to Siyakha Woolgrowers association on the 6th of June. For this association this means less time harvesting wool as their old and outdated manmade shed took them too long to harvest wool and couldn’t accommodate 4 557 sheep used for harvesting wool.
“Before this multi-purpose shed was given to us we had some challenges because we did not have all required machinery and we did not have a dipping tank. Now we do. We will be able to dip our sheep, and vaccinate them at the time of vaccination. This will improve our wool quality.” Said Mtatshana, a farmer who owns 44 sheep.
The department’s investment came as a great relief to them because previously they used old shed built by their parents.
DRDAR MEC Nonkqubela Pieters says the department invested R1, 2million for the construction of the shed, “For any investment there must be a return, the returns are not for government but for farmers. If we have invested R1, 2 million into this shed, farmers should be able to multiply that amount in income,” MEC said.
In addition Pieters urged farmes to invest in their businesses as this helps them grow and generate more income from their wool business. She also emphasised on the employment of the youth. “
There are good young farmers who are doing well, farming is not for older people. We need more young people in agriculture,” Said the MEC.
