EC paprika farming project gets a zing in its step

A paprika farming co-operative in the Eastern Cape has sold four tons of paprika to a Durban-based company after its produce was rated A-grade last month.

The grading has won the co-op, which is managed by the Steve Biko Foundation, the confidence of Natpro Spicenet, a Durban spice company.

The paprika project was started last year by the foundation, and it is funded by the National Department of Agriculture and the National Development Agency.

“All the proceeds of the crop go to the farmers in the 10 areas at Amahlati and Buffalo City municipalities,” said Andile Jack, the foundation's head of economic development.

“We send trucks to Durban for Natpro and they will deposit the money to the farmers' account.”

He said they would administer the funds until the farmers could do so on their own.

Jack said the main aim of the project was to fight unemployment in the Eastern Cape.

“The National Development Agency will be expanding the funding by R15 million,” he said.

“We have six new farmers, who have five hectares of land in Keis-kammahoek. The six farmers will add to the eight that was already producing paprika.”

Jack said each hectare of land produced about five tons of paprika, which can be used as a spice or a food colourant, or made into oil.

The next harvest would be in July, he said, and as paprika was a rotational crop, the farmers would alternate it with soya.

“We already have a company from Coega that has agreed to buy soya from the farmers.

“We are negotiating with the provincial government to fund Eastern Cape farmers who are growing paprika to curb unemployment,” Jack said.

Dale Shipman, director of Natpro Spicenet, said the quality of the Eastern Cape paprika was very good.

“We are looking forward to doing more business with them in the future,” said Shipman, adding that last month he rated 90% of the harvest A-grade.

He also said he would consider setting up a factory in the area if the harvest increased to 600 hectares.

Source: Daily Dispatch

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