Once again, potato harvesting has begun in Limpopo, there was nothing easy about this season. Eleven farmers in Limpopo had the opportunity to participate on the Potatoes South Africa (PSA) Enterprise Development Programme, which is aimed at growing commercial black potato producers through seed grant funding, technical support, mentorship, and farm-based training.
The Mondial Potato cultivar was planted collectively in Limpopo on 129.4 hectares by developing farmers in the Programme.
The three new participants have done very well through their commitment to their farming operations. The technical support from the Transformation Division and the mentors have contributed towards a fruitful journey.
PSA provided the farmers with a seed grant of which 8 made contributions towards the grant.
This season’s success has been attributed to training in irrigation, mechanization, pest control, and financial management.
Through the mentorship programme, timely planting was achieved and farming skills and experience have been enhanced.
Expectations
In this season’s crop, the Limpopo Enterprise Development farmers are expecting yields of 55 tons per hectare on average. The targeted market is the formal market, the local community and Mozambique.
We are excited that the programme was successfully implemented in the region and look forward to the next season.