Welcome to the second issue of The PV Agri Report! Our latest weekly meeting was packed with updates—from community food support and agricultural projects to sustainability challenges and exciting new ideas.
We’re thrilled to bring you the highlights and invite you to get involved. Let’s jump in!

Community Food Support Initiatives

Big news from Thoko, and the Joseph ”Power” Mpiyakhe MnTambo-Zim Foundation’s Child Headed Homes project: Thoko shared that she received 17 food donation buckets from BCC and Hobart Spar.

She stressed how vital it is to keep donors in the loop with proper documentation and photos—transparency matters!

Nancy brought up a couple of big questions: Is our current food support model sustainable for the long haul? And are we unintentionally leaving out parts of the community by focusing only on Methodist church members? Thoko confirmed the efforts include everyone, but in this case they happened to be church members.

Marieta from Imla Empower, gave us a feel-good update: her sustainable food program has been supporting 100 child-headed households since 2015.

She’s now on the hunt for sponsors to keep food hampers flowing and would love your recommendations for contacts.

The group had some creative suggestions too:

Euodia thinks local churches could chip in with food donations.
Scott’s reviving talks about plastics-to-fuel recycling—imagine that as a future feature!
John’s got practical ideas: linking Thoko up with a pallet company for wood offcuts in the Refilwe area, and modularizing market gardening training to boost entrepreneurship.

Agricultural and Community Projects

Over at WiARM’s agricultural program on Meyerton land, things are growing—literally! They were awarded a brick donation from OCON BRICK, and even had a live radio broadcast during a recent survey.

Mr Mbatha’s got a potential gem here, lets see how we can get him growing!

Mr. Mbatha’s keen to chat with Manana, John, and Bishop about a new plot in Ekenhof—could be a game-changer for community farming.

Meanwhile, Bonginkosi’s killing it: he’s selling spinach to church folks and neighbors and prepping land for potatoes. Talk about homegrown success!

Radio and Survey Activities

Mannana spilled the beans on a radio interview about the WIARM movement— her story’s hitting the airwaves!

Plus, there’s an upcoming survey in Midvale to figure out what our community needs most. Stay tuned!

Other News

We also touched on some tough stuff: the South African prison system is grappling with high costs (think R56,000 per inmate monthly!) and challenges with non-citizen prisoners. It’s a bit of a curveball, but it reminds us how connected our community issues are.

Our Upcoming Events

Mark your calendars—our next meeting is Friday at 11:00. Come join the conversation as we keep pushing for a stronger, greener community!

Call to Action

This is where you come in! Whether it’s volunteering, donating, or just spreading the word, we need your energy. Got a lead on sponsors for Marieta’s food hampers? Reach out to her! Together, we’re building something special.

Thanks for being part of The PV Agri Report crew—let’s keep the momentum going!

Market News - July

Government acknowledges Municiple Market issues, especially for small growers.

The report highlights the need for greater transparency and competition, particularly for small-scale and historically disadvantaged farmers:

Inefficient municipal fresh produce markets;
Inefficiencies in the value chain;
The conduct of fresh produce market agents;
High input costs (particularly for certain fertilisers and seeds);
Regulatory obstacles, and
Systemic barriers to entry for small-scale, emerging and historically disadvantaged farmers.

Full story; https://www.agribook.co.za/fresh-produce-markets/

South Africa has officially lifted its eight-week ban on Brazilian poultry imports.

“The ban on MDM and items such as chicken livers from Brazil has amplified South Africa’s food security crisis, with an estimated 100 million meals lost each week during the eight-week shipment stall.”

Georg Southey, manager at Merlog Foods, one of South Africa’s largest importers of chilled meats, welcomed the lifting of the ban but warned that the damage to food security has already been immense.

Full story:
https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/how-the-resumption-of-mdm-imports-from-brazil-impacts-south-africas-food-security-crisis/ar-AA1Ipas9

Tips & Guides

The Ultimate Guide to Growing Cabbage in South Africa

Cabbage has a short growth cycle and high yield per square meter, making it popular among smallholder farmers. One hectare can yield 30–60 tonnes with proper care.
https://mdseedlings.co.za/growers-guides/the-ultimate-guide-to-growing-cabbage-in-south-africa/