By Nangamso Mabindla
5 September 2008

COTTON ploughing is the buzz word in four Tsholomnqa villages in Buffalo City as communities try to help the government’s efforts to fight poverty.

The four villages - Dowu, Tyusha, Pozi, and Kalikeni - are already reaping the rewards as the only cotton cultivating project in the area. The Tsholomnqa Cotton Project was made possible by a partnership between the IHlosi Development Trust (IDT) of the Gompo Traditional Community, Uvimba, Da Gama Textiles and the provincial department of agriculture.

Prince Mthuthuzeli Makinana from the IDT said that the land around Tsholomnqa had not been cultivated for a long time. “I had to organise and motivate the communities around this area to go back to farming and meet the government halfway.”

He said the community had cultivated 161 hectors and produced 117 bales of cotton, with 154 people employed. To ensure the project was a success, a mentor from Da Gama Textiles had come onboard to help the community.

“We have to remember that this is a new crop for our area, so Andre Oosthuizen’s expertise was needed and we are grateful to Da Gama Textiles for that. Our mentor managed to find the market for us even before our cotton was harvested. [It] will be sold to the Da Gama factory,” Makinana said.

Talking about why the decision was taken to plough cotton, Makinana said that there was a good market in the area for the crop.

“Da Gama was looking for people who could grow cotton for [it] and we decided to take up the challenge. Also, cotton is a high-value crop and it can help our people in the fight against poverty.”

The cotton project would also look at ways of ensuring quality produce and professionalism.

“We want to make this as professional as possible so that we are taken seriously. Da Gama has promised a long-term partnership with the project if [we] continue to produce quality cotton.”

Looking to the future, Makinana said the community would like to work closely with Buffalo City’s local economic development department. He also thanked the department of agriculture and other partners for making the project possible.