Multipurpose shed for Sterkspruit farmers

Offering shearing services to wool producers in the Eastern Cape is one of the ways of helping them expand their flocks.

Wool producers in Sterkspruit have received a new multipurpose shed worth R1 million from the Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The farmers will be assisted in spreading their wings to enhance the quality of their wool by this facility, known as Mfinci Noncedo. Before, the farmers sheared the wool from their sheep in an old shed, which reduced the quality of the wool and cost them money. A member of the local wool farmers, Nonkuleko Hlanjwa, describes the hardships they faced while working.

“Now that we have this place, everything will happen inside, whereas before we were compelled to work outside due to the little space we were using,” said Hlanjwa.

She believes that by doing this, their wool’s quality would be improved, and they will make more money than they did previously.

Hlanjwa remarked, “We must use the land and livestock to create a living. A person does not have to live by going to the towns to look for job.”

According to her, their collective, which has 53 members overall, includes 23 women farmers.

“We are women here, highly involved in agriculture, and we don’t rely on our spouses to bring us money to make ends meet. Women need to take action for themselves in order to become financially independent,” Hlanjwa emphasised.

Hlanjwa says they enjoy farming because it allows them to feed their families and send their children to school. The wool farmers organization in Sterkspruit, according to Ben Mpila, the organisation’s deputy chairperson, was founded by his father in the 1970s with just ten members.

“When we first started, we simply removed the wool from the sheep without knowing the worth of the wool, and we used to sell the wool to white people who offered us anything, including clothes,” recalled Mpila.

He states that they now have a better understanding of the worth of wool and are excited to have a shearing facility for their sheep.

“We expect that our wool will now cost a higher price than before because our condition was dire previously,” Mpila added.

The Eastern Cape is one of the top sheep-producing provinces, and wool growers make up a significant portion of the province’s agricultural sector. However, the majority of wool farmers in the Eastern Cape only breed sheep, and very few have Angora wool goats.

In the fiscal year 2021/2022, the Chris Hani district reportedly took the lead in producing a significant amount of wool. Nonkqubela Pieters, the Eastern Cape’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has persisted in supporting wool growers by providing them with workspace and equipment.