Multi-million rand funding for emerging black farmers has been approved by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.

Thirty-one projects valued at R146-million have been earmarked for farm recapitalisation.

Land was acquired across all nine provinces under the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS). “This development was expected to benefit 5‚108 applicants‚” the department said in a statement.

A further amount of R58-million was spent on 13 land acquisitions.

“We want to give people a chance who can create jobs and farm effectively. We do not want weekend farmers‚ they neglect farms‚” said Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti.

Most emerging farmers wanted to pursue livestock farming‚ crops‚ vegetables‚ game‚ and poultry‚ the department said‚ citing the applications it had received. Funding applications were also used to purchase machinery‚ trucks‚ bulls and pregnant heifers.

The department prefers selected applicants to partner with experienced farmers. “We are delighted that some major commercial farmers are making an offer to us first as the department. They sell to us and keep a marginal equity and they transfer key (skills) to our people‚” Nkwinti said.

In the last 21 years‚ the department said it has redistributed 82 million hectares of white-owned agricultural land‚ benefiting 235‚609 people. A total of 50‚882 beneficiaries are women‚ 33‚108 are youth‚ and 678 are disabled people.

In the last five years‚ the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform under the land redistribution programme acquired 1‚488‚241 ha through 1‚467 projects‚ benefiting 20‚001 beneficiaries of which 8‚297 are women‚ 6‚149 are youth and 49 are people with disability.

Before this week’s announcement‚ the department had recapitalised 1‚459 projects (farms) on land totalling approximately 1‚4 million hectares.

“We have spent close to R1-billion (R995‚379‚034) on recapitalisation through grants and proactive land acquisition strategy‚” Nkwinti said.