In a vibrant week-long Heritage Month celebration, the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela tribe – in partnership with Moja Love, Osprey, and North-West University – held its first-ever farmers’ day at Moruleng Stadium in North West.
The Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela tribe, located in North West, consists of 32 villages across 160 000 hectares in the Bojanala District and Moses Kotane Local Municipality.
This inaugural event served as a crucial networking hub for local farmers, offering them the opportunity to display their products and services while benefitting from valuable insights shared by public and private institutions dedicated to boosting their agricultural ventures.
Supporting the community
The day featured an impressive array of stakeholders, including representatives from the Agricultural Development Agency (Agda), the departments of human settlement, education, agriculture and rural development, the South African Protected and Conservation Area Database (Sacad), and the ORIBI incubator, all rallying to support the local farming community.
Keynote speakers included Letlhogonolo Malesela from Sakata Seed Southern Africa, who emphasised the importance of high-quality seeds, proper sowing techniques, and the effectiveness of their hybrid seeds.
Aobakwe Tsatsi from ORIBI said they aimed to help people go from idea to having a product, whether in animal or crop production, culinary, food safety, or quality.
“Our mission is to support your development as an entrepreneur and take your idea to implementation. Even those who already have products, we assist them, as long as they are within the food system,” Tsatsi said.
Presentations throughout the day covered crucial topics, including free housing solutions by Rea Aha Projects, animal healthcare by Thabo Ncube, and the benefits of cannabis presented by Dr Thandeka Kunene, Pablo Mogotsi, and Gareth Prince from North-West University.
Kunene highlighted that it is legal to grow cannabis at home for personal use, but cultivating it for industrial purposes requires a permit, which means you can’t smoke it recreationally in that context.
Protecting knowledge
“To grow cannabis for medicinal use, specific licenses are necessary. Additionally, knowing indigenous knowledge rights allows local communities to cultivate their traditional strains of marijuana for industrial, medicinal, and responsible use, ensuring they benefit from this valuable resource while preserving their cultural heritage,” she said.
Kgosi Nyalala Pilane delivered the closing keynote address, highlighting the importance of preserving indigenous knowledge and utilising traditional herbs and medicine.
“This event demonstrates our commitment to empowering farmers and promoting sustainable agricultural practices,” he said. “We look forward to continuing this initiative and fostering growth in our farming community.”
Pilane outlined the key objectives of the day, which included strengthening collaboration between farmers and industry experts, offering access to crucial information and resources, enhancing market connections, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
He expressed his ambition to make this farmers’ day an annual event. “The success of today reflects the community’s needs; turn this initiative into an annual event,” he said.
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