EU ambassador visits EC

Head of the EU Delegation to South Africa, Ambassador Roeland van de Geer and EU Project Officer for SURUDEC, Catherine Mgangira listen to community members near Keiskammahoek during a visit to the Eastern Cape.

Rural development had to be seen as more than a sprinkling of agricultural projects and a re-orientation of the way extension and other support services was delivered to stimulate rural economies was urgently needed.

Such was the message delivered by rural development practitioners to the Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to South Africa, Mr Roeland van de Geer and staff who visited SURUDEC and Thina Sinako projects in the Eastern Cape in early November, 2011.

Villagers clear a fire break next to blueberries under shade cloth . This SURUDEC project in the Keiskammahoek area was visited by the EU Ambassador in early November 2011. The blueberries will be supplied to an agri-processing unit at Amabele.

Rural development had to be seen as more than a sprinkling of agricultural projects and a re-orientation of the way extension and other support services was delivered to stimulate rural economies was urgently needed.

Such was the message delivered by rural development practitioners to the Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to South Africa, Mr Roeland van de Geer and staff who visited SURUDEC and Thina Sinako projects in the Eastern Cape in early November, 2011.

Accompanied by the Head of Operations, Mr Richard Young and project officers for the two provincial EU-funded programmes SURUDEC and Thina Sinako, Catherine Mgangira and Milly Chesire respectively, the Ambassador was on a two-day mission to  familiarise himself with projects in the Eastern Cape.

A seasoned Dutch diplomat with extensive experience in Southern Africa, Ambassador Van De Geer met with the Eastern Cape Premier, Noxolo Kiviet and senior members of the provincial treasury before embarking on field trips to Keiskammahoek villages and Alice. Both the Office of the Premier and the Provincial Treasury are the provincial contracting authorities for EU-funded programmes.

The party visited two Call 2 projects in Keiskammahoek consisting of a hectare of blueberries as part of an outgrower scheme partnered with Border Rural Committee (SURUDEC grantee) and a ecotourism initiative in Cata village consisting of the development of birding trails with Birdlife South Africa as the partner.

Here the Ambassador heard that government was providing very little support and guidance in developing rural economies.

“Currently, local economic development in municipalities lacks both the capacity and skills needed, a situation which is exacerbated by very small revenue bases,” said Phumeza Grootboom, the director of BRC told Van de Geer.

The delegation also visited the Ilima Agri-Park situated at the University of Fort Hare in Alice. This large programme, partly funded by Thina Sinako (another EU-funded programme), started out small and is comprised of smallholders growing vegetables which are then dried at an agri-processing unit based at Fort Hare. The growers together with a small group running a nursery and the group running the agri-processing unit are organised as co-operatives and benefit directly from the project activities.

There are plans to upscale the model, already another Agripark has been established in Dutywa and more are planned. Negotiations with the Department of Education to supply schools with nutritious vegetable soup as part of the defunct school nutrition programme are ongoing.

Already some 28 465 learners from 215 schools in the Fort Beaufort area are benefitting in addition to some 337 schools in around Dutywa (105 384 learners).

The day ended with a visit to the high-tech Fort hare Dairy Trust.

“I am very impressed and have seen great work here today. South Africa needs the exchanging of ideas on biomass technology, dairy and rural development as more than just agriculture,” said Van de Geer.

“New directions are needed.”

Ambassador Van De Geer and Richard Young from the EU listen to Border Rural Committee Director, Phumeza Grootboom in a village near Keiskammahoek.