UBUCHWEPHESHE bungasisiza ekutheni senze izinto ngokushesha nakalula.
Lokhu kushiwo nguNdunankulu wakulesi sifundazwe, uNkk Nomusa Dube-Ncube, ngesikhathi ethula ngokusemthethweni uhlelo lokutshala olusebenzisa ezobuchwepheshe, iSmart Farming Project. Lolu hlelo lwethulwe epulazini okwenziwa kulo ucwaningo lwezolimo, Ukulinga Research Farm, eMkhondeni ngoMgqibelo.
Lolu hlelo lwenziwa ngokubambisana phakathi kwekolishi lezolimo leNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal, iFuze Institute noMnyango wezoLimo KwaZulu-Natal.
Ngalolu hlelo kusetshenziswa ubuchwepheshe bokuthi inkasa icushwe ukuthi izivulekele uma sekushaye isikhathi sokuchelela, kusetshenziswa umshini ondiza phezulu, idrone, ukuze kufuthwe izitshalo ngemithi yokubulala izinambuzane.
UNkk Dube-Ncube uthe ezobuchwepheshe ziyingxenye yethu njengamanje ukuze ziqhamuke nezisombululo ezisheshayo.
"Esifundazweni sethu kusenabantu abaswele kakhulu kanye nezingane ezineminyaka engaphansi kwemihlanu ezisabulawa yisifo sendlala ngoba zingakutholi ukudla okunomsoco. Kumele sifundise abantu ukuthi ukudla singakukhiqiza nangokutshala ezigujini zeziphuzo, uma singenawo umhlaba wokutshala," kusho uNkk Dube-Ncube.
Uqhube wathi njengohulumeni wesifundazwe bazama ukuthi kutholakale izimakethe ukuze kungabikhona umlimi ozotshala bese eswela ukuthi uzowudayisela bani umkhiqizo wakhe.
"Indaba yemakethe ithanda ukuba bucayi ngoba awukwazi ukuyifuna ube ungenalutho oluphethe ngaleso sikhathi," kusho yena.
Uthe okunye abakuhlelile ukuthi njengoba kuzoba nomhlangano wamazwe akwiBRICS kube nezivumelwano ezisayinwayo zokuhwebelana ngakho kuzosiza ukuthi kube nohlelo olunjengalolu oselukhona
"Ezolimo okwamanje kuseyizona ezikwazi ukuvula amathuba omsebenzi. Kulesi sifundazwe esinentsha eneziqu engu-8 800 engasebenzisa lolu hlelo, lungabasiza ngokuqeqesha enye intsha efundele iziqu ezingasadingeki ingene kwezolimo," kusho yena.
UNgqongoshe wezoLimo esifundazweni, uMnuz Super Zuma, uthe ngesikhathi engena kulo mnyango wabona ukuthi abalimi abaningi bashaywa ukuthi bayatshala kodwa bangayitholi imakethe yokudayisa imikhiqizo yabo. Wase ezibophezela ekutheni uzokushintsha lokho.
“Emakhaya azikho izimboni kodwa kukhona umhlaba ongasetshenziselwa ukulima. Leyo iyona mboni engaqasha abantu basemakhaya,” kusho uZuma.
UDkt Thandi Ngcobo, ongumsunguli wesikhungo esiqeqesha abangasebenzi ukuze bathole amakhono okulima kulolu hlelo, iFuze Institute, uthe selokhu luqalile lolu hlelo kuqeqeshwe abantu abangu-5000, kwasunguleka ama-co-operrative angu-250 wonke asebenzayo.