Matatiele- Eastern Cape MEC for Agriculture, Gugile Nkwinti handed over a harvester machine to emerging farmers in the Matatiele area today.
Farmers who will benefit from the machine, which combines the tasks of harvesting, threshing, and cleaning grain crops, are from Tselike and Ongeleksnek as well as Mehnoaneng village.
The handing over of the equipment follows a plea made by the farmers to the department during Mr Nkwinti's visit to the farms recently.
The departmental media liaison officer, Thozi kaManyisana said the department saw it necessary to supply the farmers who are producing maize in large scale with the harvester machine.
Among the crops harvested with a harvester are wheat, oats, rye, barley, corn (maize), soybeans, and flax (linseed).
The waste straw left behind on the field is the remaining dried stems and leaves of the crop with limited nutrients which is either chopped and spread on the field or baled for feed and bedding for livestock.
Earlier this month, MEC Nkwinti was embarked on a massive project of handing over of tractors in both the eastern and western regions of the province.
He handed over 13 tractors in Mthatha, to service the OR Tambo, Alfred Nzo and Ukhahlamba regions.
The tractors will be accompanied by their implements and three combine harvesters with a value of R19.8 million.
The department also handed over 23 more tractors and one harvester that will service Amathole, Cacadu and Chris Hani regions, while two harvesters were sent to the eastern region.
The provision of tractors to aspirant and emerging farmers is one of the department's pillars in the green revolution strategy.
The strategy is underpinned by the six pegs policy that requires the department to give farmers enabling tools and skills to full participate in agri-business.
The department has been stimulating economic growth and rural development through providing farmers with the fence for arable and grazing lands, revival of irrigation schemes, construction of stock water dams, dipping tanks as well as vaccination of livestock.-
