RRSC WANTS OUTGROWERS TO SUCCEED

MPOFU – With the challenges faced by many sugar farmers in the country, RSSC is continuing to support the sugar cane farmers through numerous initiatives including educating them on best practice. 
 

One of the key purposes to educate the small scale sugar cane growers is to ensure the sustainability of the farmers and their business which allows them to use the best management practices and standards. It is also to increase production for the benefit of the RSSC factories, and most importantly to improve the economic position of the farmers.
RSSC’s Extension Officer Phinda Bhembe said; “Among the challenges faced by the canegrowers includes; the declining sugar price, governance of the cooperatives (disputes and mismanagement of funds), succession issues where in most cases members of the committees refuse to step down when their terms expire. As a company that shares a mutual benefit with the growers RSSC is striving to keep them in the business through workshops and frequent visits to their farms.”
Group Public Affairs Manager Sifiso Nyembe said: “The farmers are our business partners. We want them to succeed, so that our business can succeed too, and the community can continue to benefit. We also want to aid the farmers whenever we can, so that it makes sense for them to partner with a company of our size and standing in the industry.”
Nyembe added that gaining knowledge of sound business practices is imperative in this industry, hence it’s key to support the farmers. “Apart from providing the growers with knowledge, the company also provide the farmers with required technical services for growing cane, equipment hiring such as tractors, supply them with seed cane and also assist in analysing soil samples and fertilizers at our laboratory.”
RSSC has been very instrumental in the expansion of two cane growing projects, which has seen the inception of about 900 hectares of new cane fields, in two separate projects, namely Mnyangombili and Umbombowendlovu.
Bhembe said: “We have noted changes after the workshops because members tend to know their roles and do things according to the required standards.”