How to Apply for Urban Food Garden Funding in the Western Cape

The department provides production inputs, garden tools and also training to ensure sustainability. They target households that are on the indigent registers of municipalities and those that are already engaged in some form of production in their backyards. The departmtment has so far supported over 2000 households across the province with the support of NGOs.

The strategic goal of the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) is to create a favourable and supportive agricultural service environment for the farming community including subsistence, smallholder and black commercial farmers.
 

NOTICE APPLICATION FOR CASP* FUNDING 2021

1. PURPOSE

To inform interested parties on how the Western Cape Department of Agriculture extends its services to farmers through its commodity focused approach. The Department has adopted a commodity approach since 2009; this is simply an arrangement that draws in multiple spheres of government and the private sector, each understanding their unique roles, working from the same plan, towards achieving the same outcomes.

The commodity approach is premised on the following principles:  

1. Priority is given to value chains as identified in the Agriculture Policy Action Plan (APAP),
2. The full utilisation of partnerships in order to exploit the strengths of key private sector partners,
3. Support for land reform projects,
4. Access to markets and potential for job creation,
5. Provide a comprehensive support package to farmers,
6. Mentorship support to small holder farmers.

Any request for assistance should follow the process stipulated below and comply with the requirements as stated on the checklist of the application form.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To ensure a faster and a more efficient service, applicants are advised to adhere to the process detailed below.

2.1     SUBSISTENCE FARMERS:  COMMUNITY AND HOUSEHOLD PROJECTS

Criteria for Subsistence Farmers (Community and Household gardens):

1. Production is mainly for own consumption, whilst surplus produce is sold for income security,
2. Must have access to land (owned or leased),
3. In the case of leased land, applicant must have a lease arrangement of no less than 3 - 5 years,
4. Must have access to irrigation water or be willing to use recycled water (no municipal drinking water can be used for irrigation),
5. Requests must be submitted at your local Department of Agriculture office. Households will be sourced from municipal indigent registers,
6. Referrals from the Department of Health or Social Development.

2.2     SMALLHOLDER AND BLACK COMMERCIAL FARMERS

Criteria:

1. Must have access to land (owned or leased),
2. In the case of leased land, the applicant must have a lease arrangement for not less than 9 years, 11 months (preferable removable structures) and a longer lease period of at least 15 years is required for long term crops,
3. Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and water licence registration must first be finalised before application for funding,
4. Must be a land reform project,
5. Must have the potential to create and sustain jobs,
6. Must contribute to transformation of the agricultural sector,
7. Agri processing project initiatives will be considered,
8. Equity Scheme projects must adhere or comply with the latest AgriBEE framework.

 

3. HOW TO APPLY

1. Obtain a request form from your local office of the Department, or www.elsenburg.com.  However, applicants are encourage to make contact with the nearest extension office for guidance and support.
2. Submit completed form at nearest office within the required time frame accompanied by all the required compliance documentation as per checklist in application form.  E.g. tax clearance certificate, security of tenure documentation (copy of title deed or valid lease contract), etc.
3. Once the application is received the Department will confirm receipt in writing and advise further on the process.
4. A farm visit will be done to verify information submitted as per application form.
    

4. CONDITIONS TO BE ADHERE TO BY THE APPLICANT

Once the project is approved the applicant will be expected to enter into a contract with the Department of Agriculture or its implementing agency committing to the following:  

The conditions of implementation: 

a)    Commitment to ensure effective and productive usage of all equipment and inputs (assets may be removed if not used productively/misused).
b)    Give the Department access to financial, production and sales records of the business – through participation in the Financial Record Keeping Programme (FRK).
c)     Commit to allow the Department access to the farm for extension services and monitoring purposes. 
d)    Commitment to attend project meetings with the Department when required to do so. 
e)    Commitment to participate in the capacity building and training programmes facilitated by the Department and its commodity partners. 

CONTACT DETAILS:

All applicants are required to declare previous government support and failure to do so will lead to an automatic disqualification including incomplete applications.

*NB: It must be noted that civil servants and those working for parastatals are excluded from the support listed above.  There is also no guarantee that the application will be approved or that the total request will be funded.   The department reserve the right only to approve the critical items it deems necessary on a request form.