By Kopano Dibakwane
A state-of-the-art Combine Harvester was officially handed over to grain producers in the DR JS Moroka Local Municipality by Mpumalanga DARDLEA(Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs), led by MEC Kethiwe Moeketsi.
According to DARDLEA, the harvester is designed for efficient harvesting of large quantities of grain, integrating reaping, threshing, and winnowing into one machine. It is equipped with specialised heads for crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, rye, barley, sorghum, flax, sunflowers, and canola.
This reportedly allows farmers to optimise productivity and reduce post-harvest losses. The machine is said to have a maximum capacity of 600 horsepower, with a 12-meter sunflower blade cutter and a 6-meter maize cutter.
“The grain project in Dr JS Moroka has 61 beneficiaries, scattered in various communal areas of Seabe, Lefiso, Lefiswane, Senotlelo Pankop, Troya, Mmamethlake, Marapyane and Vaalbank. Their combined arable land measures 2018,7 ha in extent, obtained from the Tribal Authorities through a PTO(Permission to Occupy),” said DARDLEA.
Amina Lebeya, one of the grain farmers in the DR JS Moroka Local Municipality, has expressed gratitude for the Department’s support.
“ Our primary farming commodities here in the DR JS Moroka are sunflower, yellow maize, cotton, and sorghum, since we are farming on dry land. I would like to thank the Department of Agriculture for giving us the John Deer machine which will assist all of us and it belongs to all grain farmers,” said Lebeya.
“ MEC Moeketsi addressed the farmers and encouraged them to work together and look after the combine harvester, ensure that it benefits all of them equally to maximise food production. She also visited disaster stricken farmers to deliver farming implements including seeds, seedlings, compost, fertilizer and jojo tanks for Moilathlala Primary Cooperative, Kgopelang Primary Cooperative and Diphofa Vegetable Project,” said DARDLEA.
