- Emerging farmers in Gauteng looking to produce food from plants and livestock have until Friday to apply for funding through CASP.
- This forms part of the Gauteng government’s goals of insuring good security in the province.
- Poultry, pigs, rabbit, vegetables, and even cannabis farmers are invited to apply for CASP funding.
Emerging farmers in Gauteng who need government funding have until Friday to apply for that funding through the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment’s Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP).
The provincial government is trying to maintain food security in Gauteng and as such it is hoping to support the farmers – and future generations of farmers – who produce that food through CASP.
“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,” Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Mbali Hlophe said.
The Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment is specifically looking to support small-medium and micro-enterprise farmers in the following priority areas:
- Poultry,
- Piggery,
- Grains,
- Vegetables,
- Red Meat,
- Cannabis,
- Aquaculture,
- Rabbit,
- Bee Farming,
- Agri-processing.
Unfortunately, the funding here is once-off so prospective farmers will need to make sure the injection they receive is used well. The upside of this being a once-off injection is that the government can reach more farmers. Since its establishment in 2004, CASP has helped as many as 250 beneficiaries each year.
Groups and individuals hoping to apply for funding through CASP must meet the following criteria:
- Application form must be signed and dated,
- Registered business on the farmers registers,
- South African Certified ID (not more than three months),
- Valid confirmation of land tenure/ownership such as tittle deeds, permission to occupy land and/or minimum five years lease agreement,
- Already farming,
- Farming operation’s ability to create permanent or seasonal jobs,
- In cases where the Environment Impact Assessment certificate is required, such evidence must be provided.
Weirdly, those looking to apply for support need to visit a satellite office to receive an application form. Once complete that form needs to be emailed to the department. Why farmers can’t just download the form and email it is unclear but we suppose government is going to government.
Emerging farmers can head to the following locations to grab an application form.
- Germiston Regional Office: 247 President Street, Ms Dorcas Motloung – 083 312 4693;
- Vereeniging Regional Office: 36 Merriman Street, Ms Makgukgudi Monrontse – 010 345 1230, 066 489 1696;
- Temba Animal Clinic: Stand 16 Stellenbosch, Jubilee Road, Mr Melvin Francis – 072 781 7006;
- Bronkhorstsprut: 55 Market Street, Ms Jeanette Ramathoka – 072 768 5585.
Once complete the applications need to be sent to GDARDFARMERSUPPORT@gauteng.gov.za before applications close on 8th March.
Government has, of late, been on a push to increase the opportunities for locals to farm cannabis. Earlier this year, Upskiller Training Force partnered with Cheeba Cannabis Training with funding support from the Eastern Cape Rural Development Association to train 100 cannabis farmers.
This is understandable given South Africa’s employment crisis and projections from President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2022 which suggest as many as 130 000 new jobs could be created within the cannabis industry.
[Image – Wolfgang Weiser from Pixabay]
