SA Canegrowers

DEVELOPMENT

SA Canegrowers’ Development priorities

Regarding Development, The Regional Services team, supported by the Development department focuses on “Product diversification and innovation”. In addition, training of growers continues.

In order to better the lives of our growers, the following projects were carried out during the 2023/2024 season.

1. Diversification development project funded by SA Canegrowers:

Diversification in agriculture helps build resilience, promote sustainability, and create opportunities for farmers to adapt to changing conditions and market demands. The projects included the establishment of lucerne production in Zululand and butternut, grains, and vegetable cultivation in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. These schemes aim to bolster agricultural resilience, promote crop variety and foster sustainable farming practices to stimulate economic growth and food security in the respective regions on a shorted cost cycle.

2. Seedcane Development project:

The expansion of the seedcane project in the current growing season was made possible by the accomplishment of this SA Canegrowers-funded project as well as its favourable effects and benefits for small-scale growers. More small-scale growers will have access to clean, disease-free seedcane supply nearby thanks to these extra seedcane plots. A sum of nearly R1million over a two year period was approved by the SA Canegrowers Board to extend this project with first planting in the spring of 2022. The first harvest was completed in the spring of 2023 and small-scale growers bought seed at a discounted price. Full ownership of the original Coca Cola funded scheme plots were awarded to co-operators in 2021. The programme has enabled small-scale growers to have access to quality Seedcane close to their fields and improved varieties at discounted prices.

3. Youth internship programme:

The aim of the youth development programme is to afford young, aspiring farmers the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in sugarcane cultivation. As part of the programme, interns participate in various daily tasks on sugarcane farms, and intermittently assist in the cultivation of other crops such as bananas, tea tree, and macadamia nuts. They assume the role of Junior Farm Manager Trainees. Practical experience is supplemented by theoretical instruction provided by the South African Sugar Research Institute (SASRI) through the Senior Certificate in Sugarcane. Ten candidates were successfully assigned to farms operated by large-scale growers in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, with a preference given to women. The third year of on-farm interns completed their first year in December 2023. They will conclude their two-year practical internship in December 2024.

4. Transformation:

The sugar industry in South Africa committed to spend over R1 billion during a committed five-year period to support transformation in the sector. Each year, more than R200 million was allocated to transformation programmes. Only Commercial growers and all milling businesses combined, have provided the funding through the industry. A range of interventions were supported in the year under review from providing a premium price for black growers (R44m),  production inputs (R50m), transport subsidy (R23m), levy subsidy (R8M), top-up for agricultural training (R10m), youth programme (R5.2m), rehabilitation of small-scale grower irrigation infrastructure (R17.66m), to name a few.

In addition, SA Canegrowers’ through the regions and Development were responsible for the implementation of the growers training for small-scale and land reform growers using utilising the SASA approved Grower Development Account (GDA) funds in the 2022/23 financial year. All trainings were on basic agronomic principals and workshop training offered by the Shukela Training Centre (STC) and the South African Sugar Research Institute (SASRI). Funds were approved at the end of the 2023/24 season and some training funded by the GDA commenced in the last quarter of the season.

5. Women empowerment:

The establishment and creation of the Vukani Women Secondary Cooperative was actively supported by the SA Canegrowers. The founding members of the group are all sugarcane growers from KwaZulu-Natal.
Scroll to Top