TO: ALL MEDIA
02 October 2020
The Northern MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs Land Reform and Rural Development Ms Mase Manopole is appealing to emerging farmers to apply for the 2021/22 Comprehensive Agricultural Support Program (CASP) and Ilima/Letsema grant.
The purpose of the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) Grant is to provide effective agricultural support and to streamline the provision of services to target beneficiaries of Land Reform’s restitution and redistribution - as well as other African producers who have acquired land through private means and are engaged in value-adding enterprise domestically.
The fund is targeting Subsistence, Smallholder and Black Commercial farmers. The types of support entails, on and off farm infrastructure, information & knowledge management, technical, advisory services and regulatory services.
It also involves marketing and business development support, farmer training, skills development - capacity building and financial services amongst others.
The Department will provide 100% funding or support for agro business planning and marketing. There are areas that support will be provided such as farm business plan development, agro-processing business plan development, linking farmers to markets and marketing information and marketing skills development training.
Meanwhile the significance of the Ilima/Letsema grant is to assist vulnerable South African farming communities to achieve an increased agricultural production.
It also seeks to assist farming communities to be able to feed their families and sell surplus to the market-thus increasing household consumption. The Ilima/Letsema grant provide this type of support to emerging farmers-production inputs, mechanization and irrigation infrastructure.
The closing date for the grant applications is on the 09 October 2020 and farmers are encouraged to visit their respective Departmental Districts office across the Province for further information.
The main objective of the both CASP and Illema/Letsema;
- To create a long-term sustainability and economic viability.
- Community involvement and ownership.
- It targets beneficiaries from previously disadvantaged group.
- To enhance national and household food security.
- To provide once-off grant and not committing government to any form of direct recurrent operational or maintenance projects grants.
- Project finance support for those agricultural activities having the required level of institutional and technical support.
Targeted beneficiaries:
The grant funding will be provided to small and commercial farmers who were previously disadvantaged;
- Beneficiaries of Land Reform – restitution and redistribution (LRAD and SLAG) sub programmes.
- Individual Black farmers who acquired land privately (without government grant).
- Share equity projects where new farmers or farm workers are acquiring shares in agricultural enterprise;
- Black farmers leasing commercial land on a medium-term basis i.e. five years and above
- Farmers on viable units under communal tenure system;
- Youth, disabled and women in agriculture – new agro-industries will receive priority.
- Wards that have been prioritized under the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme
For media queries contact Zandisile Luphahla, Media Liaison Officer and Spokesperson to the MEC on 083 391 5388
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS, LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT