BY BANELE MAGONGO
MBABANE – Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla has handed over garden material to Zama Zama Youth Cooperative at Mtfongwaneni Constituency.
The material was handed over yesterday (Monday, June 17, 2024). The material included two 5 000 litre water tanks, poles, barbed razor wire, fence, bags of cement, water pipes and steel poles.
The DPM applauded the young people for being active and chose farming, a profession that most young people frown upon. She promised that they would link them with the Ministry of Agriculture, who will send experts to provide necessary information especially on the construction of an earth dam to be used for irrigation. She further promised to also provide bricks for elevating the water tanks. Mtfongwaneni Member of Parliament (MP) Nathi Mdockies Hlophe donated a water engine to the project as well.
“I am so happy to see young people excited about farming. This is very rare in most communities. I am a farmer too and I have benefited a lot through farming because my father was a very active farmer. In future you will need to diversify from crop production to animal production as well because there is available market,” the DPM said.
She appreciated the local chiefdom for allocating land for this project. Initially, the young people approached the DPM on May 03, 2024 when officially opening an elderly house and asked for support for their farming project.
MP Hlophe appreciated the parents for allowing their children to be part of this cooperative. He promised a proper road to the garden to easily link it with customers.
It is stated that the cooperative of 37 members have been allocated a big portion of land by the local chiefdom for this project. They want to produce more crops and vegetable to supply the community and other markets around Manzini. They are dreaming of venturing into piggery and chicken projects as well.
