![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.northerncape.gov.za\/daerl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2014\/03\/loxton2.jpg\")
The Northern Cape MEC for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Mr. Norman Shushu is expected to hand over a Sheep Shearing Shed to the Swart Opkomende Landbou Forum (SOLF) in Loxton at the Ubuntu Local Municipality on the 20th March 2014.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The handing over is part of the support that the department is giving to farmers, and it will enable them to farm optimally and sustainably, which will translate into the improvement of the livelihoods of the farmers.<\/p>\n
The SOLF project is a wool shearing shed and was constructed to help in improving the quality of wool for the smallholder farmers at the municipality shears. It serves about 31 smallholder farmers who farm with Merino sheep.<\/p>\n
The wool that is sheared is classed accordingly and then transported to the Eastern Cape markets where it fetches a better price for the product.<\/p>\n
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has been engaged with the rolling-out of infrastructural development, the purchasing of implements and machinery, production inputs, and farmer support for smallholder farmers in the province.<\/p>\n
The improvement of livelihoods has a multiplier effect in that it addresses government\u2019s programme, which includes the contribution of the smallholder farmer and\u00a0 historically disadvantaged farmers to the agricultural GDP which is significant.<\/p>\n
Members of the Media are invited to the handing over ceremony, and details are as follows:<\/p>\n
Date: 20 March 2014
Time: 10HOO
Venue: SOLF project (Loxton )<\/p>\n