Business

Exciting News for Ndumo Farmers: Unilever To Roll Out Phase 3 of Its ESD Programme

Farmers from Ndumo Phase B, who are part of the Unilever Enterprise Supplier Development (ESD) programme,  will be excited to learn that the company is committed to rolling out phase 3 of the programme.

Sithembile Ngobese, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainable Business at Unilever, indicated that the company is committed to rolling out phase 3 of the programme later in the summer season, which will involve working with farmers to improve their production practices through intensive mentorship provided by Mabalengwe Agriculture.

Also, in Phase 3 of the programme, will be the conceptualisation and activation of an aggregator platform which will serve to bridge the capacity of supply between smallholder farmers and Unilever.

In June this year, the farmers attended a two-day educational visit at the Unilever Indonsa factory in Durban, KwaZulu Natal.

Fifteen farmers, including five members of the Cooperative executive and 10 young people, were shown how their produce is processed and packaged for wholesale and retail markets.

In November 2023, Unilever partnered with Mabalengwe Agriculture, a company involved in farmer development, to provide an AgriSETA-accredited skills training programme and mentorship as part of phase 2 of its ESD plans.

The 15 farmers spent the day touring the factory, learning how their produce is used in the production of Unilever spices such as the Robertson and Knorrox brands.

This educational tour reinforced Unilever’s commitment to Ndumo farmers as a market for their chilli produce.

The Chairperson of the Cooperative, Mr Joseph Mthembu, thanked Unilever for the opportunity to be part of the ESD programme and to visit their world-class factory.

Mthembu highlighted that Ndumo has two cooperatives with 46 members operating on 500 hectares under irrigation and reiterated their commitment to providing Unilever with products that meet quality requirements.

Other cooperative members indicated that common constraints such as lack of access to markets, adequate mechanization, information/knowledge, and funding hinder their quest for commercialisation. However, they expressed excitement that Unilever has already addressed access to markets and information/knowledge.

The training programme, informed by comprehensive skills need assessments, focused on equipping farmers with specialised knowledge in modern chilli production techniques.

These techniques included on-site selection, seed selection, soil preparation, irrigation, nutrient management, pest and disease control, and harvesting methods. The training also promoted sustainable farming practices, emphasizing environmental conservation and resource optimisation to meet Unilever’s sustainable production requirements.

The programme targeted 100 farmers in the Ndumo area under Jozini Local Municipality in northern KwaZulu Natal. Most of the participants were women (66%) and young people (67%), aligning with Unilever’s goal to uplift marginalised members of the farming community. The training facilitated knowledge exchange and networking among chilli farmers, allowing them to share best practices, experiences, and market insights.

  • Collective action: small-scale farmers are too small to provide consistency in their supply but when they aggregate, they are big enough to be consistent in their supply.

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