By Anita Dangazele
- UlutshaLendalo Agriculture was founded in 2019 by four young Butterworth residents who turned empty land into a thriving farm.
- The cooperative now supplies major supermarkets and employs locals while inspiring youth to choose work over crime.
A group of young people in Butterworth, Eastern Cape, have found a way to fight poverty and unemployment – by growing food and creating jobs.
The farm, called UlutshaLendalo Agriculture, was started in 2019 by Xola Ntshinga, Antony Phiri, Busiswa Ntshinga and Ongezwa Vuza. Based in Zingqayi A/A, eMambabaleni, the youth-owned cooperative has become one of the most successful farms in the region.
UlutshaLendalo grows cabbages, spinach, butternuts, potatoes, peppers and pumpkins on 15 hectares of land. The founders plan to expand to 531 hectares to boost production and employ more local workers.
Secretary and marketing manager Xola Ntshinga said they started the farm after seeing how many young people in Butterworth were unemployed and struggling to survive.
“That’s when we decided to create UlutshaLendalo Agriculture, to provide jobs, fight hunger and contribute positively to society,” he said.
The cooperative now supplies fresh produce to supermarkets in Butterworth and Dutywa, including Spargs, SuperSpar, KwikSpar, MiniSpar, Monwabisi Mini Market and Boxer.
Ntshinga said climate change and limited resources make their work difficult, but they remain committed to producing quality food and inspiring others.
“Despite the odds, we decided to take action,” he said.
The cooperative also helps with local development – recently employing 11 people through a R1-million tender to build a 1.68km access road to the farm.
Pictured above: Members of UlutshaLendalo Agriculture working on their farm in Butterworth.
Image source: Supplied
