Sweet success as sugar farm yieldsApril 29, 2006

SABC News, 18:30, April 29, 2006

An Mpumalanga community's enjoying the sweet taste of success. A large sugar company's been developing skills in their poor community and the profits are beginning to show.

About three years ago, the company bought a R15 million farm for seven previously disadvantaged farmers, to help them to grow sugar cane commercially. It chose seven promising candidates from a group of more than a 1 000. The 260 hectare plot at Kaapmuiden in the Mpumalanga lowveld proved to hold its challenges for the beginners. But Eric Sibiya, Linah Mabaso and their five colleagues made it work.

Eric Sibaya, one of the farmers says: “We didn't know how to use the drip irrigation system, now we use it here.” Linah Mabaso, another of the farmers, says: “We were taught how to draw a budget, we will no longer spend money unnecessary." The farmers agree that the combination of intense training and determination has made their business a success. And they're steadily increasing their contribution to the province's half a million tons of sugar produced annually.

Vusi Khoza, the Tsb Sugar Corporate Communications General Manager, says: “Their production level has improved from an average of 91 tonnes.” The overwhelming success of the seven has prompted their sponsor to develop the skills of about 50 more farmers in the next five years.