Six growing seasons ago, 105 farmers from Mpumalanga joined the Emerging Farmer Initiative (EFI), a programme supported by our members which supports, educates and empowers local farmers.

Currently, these farmers are producing over 100 hectares of sun-cured virginia tobacco and 330 hectares of food crops on a rotational farming basis in Jeppes Reef, Badplaas and Steynsdorp. The community has benefited tremendously through the creation of over 530 jobs in this growing area.

In Limpopo, 49 black tobacco farmers are involved in different stages of setting up their farms under the EFI’s Incubation and Mentorship program. An integral part of the initiative is to establish one hectare of food crops for every one hectare of tobacco that is planted.

In total, they are growing 45 hectares of sun-cured virginia tobacco and 55 hectares of food crops in four growing areas: Elandskraal, Groblersdal, Venda, and Mookgophong. Since the project started, 145 jobs have been created.

Six growing seasons ago, 105 farmers from Mpumalanga joined the Emerging Farmer Initiative (EFI), a programme supported by our members which supports, educates and empowers local farmers.

Currently, these farmers are producing over 100 hectares of sun-cured virginia tobacco and 330 hectares of food crops on a rotational farming basis in Jeppes Reef, Badplaas and Steynsdorp. The community has benefited tremendously through the creation of over 530 jobs in this growing area.

Five black farmers started a pilot project on a farm near Kosi Bay with the aim of growing 5 hectares of tobacco leaf to complement the cashew nut and pineapple crops they were growing at the time.

Based on the success of the first growing year, the tobacco crop will be extended in the next growing season and will help create up to 20 jobs in the region.

Currently, 12 farmers have come together in the Skuinsdrift area to grow 33 hectares of tobacco on communal land with each farmer growing their own tobacco crop. A unique aspect of this project is the development of a central, shared cost-effective tobacco curing facility.