In a significant boost to local agriculture, North-West MEC for agriculture and rural development Desbo Mohono recently oversaw the handover of a refurbished 45 000-capacity broiler house to Selame Poultry, a Haartebeesfontein-based agriculture project.
Rose Rakgwale, owner and founder of Selame Poultry, expressed her gratitude, stating that the refurbishment marked a pivotal moment for the project after a three-year hiatus due to infrastructure issues.
Rakgwale emphasised the importance of adhering to market specifications which led to the difficult decision to pause operations temporarily.
Hard work pays off
“There was a time when I doubted if we would be able to pull the work [off] successfully. I am glad that the house is high-tech and carries all the details that were required by my market.
“We are ticking all the boxes. I thank the MEC and the department for this empowerment. The world needs to see what the government is doing for us,” she said.
She commended the department’s support and highlighted the high-tech features of the refurbished house, including its environmental friendliness, water reticulation system, security features, and modernised electrical power system.
Mohono emphasised the necessity of assisting farmers like Rakgwale to ensure continued business operations and economic activity in the region.
She applauded Rakgwale’s patience during the project’s completion and encouraged her to work towards renewing the remaining houses to meet the required specifications.
“The department took some time to complete the project, but this farmer was patient and that goes to show that indeed agriculture is not for the faint-hearted. I have so much pride in her etiquette, and I am confident that she will ensure that work on this farm runs with speed,” Mohono said.
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Selame Poultry Project has been operational since 2012, has received recognition for its entrepreneurship, and previously boasted an annual production of over 2 000 000 birds on a 70-ha farmland. The project holds a supply contract with one of the largest chicken abattoirs in the province.
In addition to the Selame Poultry handover, Mohono also delivered a refurbished 45-ha pivot system to Frank Sekonyela at Witpoort farm, and provided garden inputs and tools to Bakang Primary School and Tshepang Care Services project in Haartebeesfontein.
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