By Obed Makgoale and Nape Masemola
The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), Ms Thoko Didiza, has officially opened the Vleeschboom Farmers Production Support Unit (FPSU) on 21 April 2024 in the Sekhukhune District, Limpopo.
Setting a tone for her address, Minister Didiza led a beautiful song that says, “my mother was a kitchen girl, and my father was a garden boy, thus why I am a farmer now”. The farmers and various stakeholders present joined her with loud roar of happiness. It was indeed a happy day as farmers were celebrating a milestone of achievement. Accompanied by Mayors from both Local and District Municipalities, Minister Didiza officially opened the building by cutting a ribbon and unveil a plaque written “Vleeschboom FPSU was officially opened by Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Hon A.T Didiza on 21 April 2024”.
The Vleeschboom (FPSU) is located on the Remaining Extent (R/E) of the farm Vierfontein 871 KS in Ward 4 of the Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality (MLM) of the Sekhukhune District in the Limpopo Province. DALRRD has spent 40 million rand for the construction of this building. The Phase 1 which is the building, was started in March 2018 and completed on 3 July 2020. Phase 2 which is the paving, enhancements, security, and access was started in September 2023 and estimated to end in June 2024. Currently as Minister is opening the building, a lot of work has been done and the FPSU is already working. Workshop; pavement; mechanisation centre; offices; training centre (hall); ablution units; borehole; and steel elevated tank; receive and dispatch offices; cold rooms and a guard house are all part of phase 1.
“Today as I am handing over this building to the farmers, I am told Vleeschboom FPSU has 33 cooperatives which are all situated within 60 KM radius. I encourage you to work together, come up with fair business operation schedule that will ensure that you all have access to the resources and mechanisation available”, said Minister Didiza. She further explained the role of the FPSUs to say they are centres that can provide the following services to smallholder farmers depending on the farmer’s needs and type of commodities to be produced as such
Agricultural input supply control (quality, quantity); Extension support and training; Mechanisation support (tractor driving, ploughing, spraying, harvesting etc.); Mechanical service workshop; Primary produce collection; Weighing of produce and stock; Sorting, packaging, and storage of produce; Processing for local markets (small scale mills etc.); Fuel supply (for farming machinery).
Vleeschboom FPSU has already started to change lives of the people of Sekhukhune District by playing a meaningful role in the local economy. During the construction of this building, already 745 temporary jobs were created and 624 people have been trained. Minister Didiza encouraged her provincial department to think about building a maize milling in future so that locally through FPSU a maize meal can be produced, packaged, and sold country wide.
