EDITION 89 May 2017

This edition New Dataset Tips and tools: ESO tip: Provincial ESO Top User: Developments for Agri- Agricultural Fraud alert/scams Mr Tsholanang Molosiwa Parks Cooperatives for government 1 1 2 tenders 2

New Dataset Developments for Agri-Parks ESO WALLPAPERS

Juanita Van Zyl DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE DESKTOP WALLPAPER TODAY! The Departments of Agriculture, Forestry and Once the information on a institution or Fisheries (DAFF) and Rural Development and organisation has been verified, coordinates of its Liven up your computer’s desktop with an Land Reform are collaborating with various physical position are added. Extension Suite Online ® wallpaper. government departments in establishing Agri- Download wallpapers directly from the ESO Parks in all 44 districts of . The To properly complete and present a commodity newsletter e-mail or on the ESO media purpose of the Agri-Park project is to start a database, a lot of work needs to be done. The website: media.esuite.co.za process of rural economic transformation by information on animal production will be establishing agro-production and farmer completed in the next few months, while support systems that include processing information focusing on plant production is facilities, training and extension, and logistics continuing with information on vegetables, grains, Tips and tools and marketing services, in each district by 2019. oil seeds, industrial crops and roots and tubers to be developed. Newly developed datasets will also for advisors Before July 2016, Manstrat AIS has created and be improved and expanded as more information was maintaining 21 infrastructure datasets for becomes available through the Agri-Parks Agricultural Cooperatives DAFF on its Extension Suite Online (ESO) development. agricultural decision support system. The Agri- Portia Phahlane Parks Development emphasised the need for The completed, new Infrastructure Databases will new and updated datasets to add value to this provide significant added value to the farming For South Africa to make meaningful progress in programme. As a result, the GIS team at community. For the first time, farmers will be able the battle for sustainable food security, reducing poverty and generating employment Manstrat started to develop new datasets to access information for the entire value chain, opportunities, the agricultural sector desperately focusing more on services, organisations and from start to finish, for their products. For instance, needs to increase in number and variety of viable commodities (Agricultural Products & farmers will be able to access information from and lasting economic, agricultural enterprises. One Producers). As a result, 13 new datasets have specific commodity organisations when they of the most important in this regard is agricultural been developed since July 2016: require assistance in the sustainable use of the cooperatives. environment. They will also have access to 1. Agro Forestry information specific to their products/produce for Agricultural cooperatives - enterprises where 2. Aquaculture their area supporting cost effective farming. farmers pool resources to generate processes or market agricultural products - and also to supply 3. District Municipalities agricultural inputs and services to its members. As 4. Fruit Organisations such, they can assist small-holder farmers in 5. Goat Organisations numerous ways through the provision of access to 6. Nurseries markets, natural resources, information, 7. Ostrich Organisations communication, different technologies, equipment, 8. Pork Organisations finance, training, transport, and storage facilities. 9. Seed Companies 10. Sheep Organisations Establishing an agricultural cooperative for small- holder farmers requires commitment from people 11. SPCA Information who want change and are ready to work towards 12. Transport Services that change. 13. Water Infrastructure Basic steps in establishing a cooperative include: The development of these new datasets, involves more than merely collecting • Determining needs and conducting information and publishing it - data is gathered a needs analysis; by various means - including internet searches • Deciding on, and drawing up a and directory inquiries. Once a list of institutions business plan; and organisations is established, they are • Identifying the necessary skills and individually contacted to verify all their detail training and selecting a management team; and including the services they provide. Juanita Van Zyl • Registration of the cooperative. EXTENSION SUITE ESO PROVINCIAL TOP USERS Provincial ESO Top User ONLINE® UTILISATION: Province Name Portia Phahlane Eastern Cape Sindile Magoda May 2017 Free State Motsoari Noe This month we would like to introduce the Gauteng Vhuthu Gavhi provincial top user for the Northwest Province, Mr Extension Suite Online ® (ESO) utilisation is Kwa-Zulu Natal Dumisani Nzama Tsholanang Molosiwa. determined through monitoring user utilisation in Limpopo Louis Khomola the nine provinces and by attaching values to Mpumalanga Sthembiso Mbuyane Tsholanang comes from Matlhako (Pella), Madikwe Visits, Pages Visited and Duration of Visits; a rating North West Tsholanang Molosiwa District, Moses Kotane Local Municipality, the home of Moses Kotane, politician, activist and secretary is calculated to establish the ESO National Top User Northern Cape Eugene Matutu general of the South African Communist Party from of the Month. Western Cape Riaan Nowers 1939 until his death in 1978, and who was reburied on March 1, 2015 in Pella, after his remains were returned to South Africa. ESO PROVINCIAL TOP USER GRAPH

Tsholanang is an agricultural advisor, employed by 7 000 Department of Rural, Environmental, Agricultural Eastern Cape Development (READ), in North West at the Mahikeng local municipality, Ngaka Modiri Molema 6 000 6426 Free State District. Tsholanang has been working for the Gauteng Department for 20 years and his area of expertise is 5 000 livestock production, assisting roughly about 350 KwaZulu Natal farmers in the municipality area. He currently works 4 000 4334 Limpopo under Ms Seipei Maphage, his Municipal supervisor, 4006 and Mr Lesley Mosetlhi, the District supervisor. Mpumalanga Rating 3 000 3240 3453 North West Tsholanang started using Extension Suite Online 2555 during early 2016, and realised quickly that the 2 000 Northern Cape system was alive with relevant technical information 1855 1571 Western Cape that helped him a great deal with daily advice 1 000 1452 required by his farmers. Because of his area of work, Tsholanang also finds a lot of useful information in 0 the ESO in all the livestock modules including the market prices for beef, milk, mutton, pork and poultry produce. He explains the impact that ESO has on his relationship with his clients/farmers, and CLIMATE WATCH how it has boosted his confidence in giving advice, Issue #16 while farmers’ response about information provided by him, have been positive. April is the month of the year when Autumn weather He describes ESO as an “enabler” that assists sets in over South Africa. With dryer air in circulation agricultural advisors in executing their duties over the country, minimum temperatures dropped to properly - and he highlighted information that help the low teens in most parts of the summer rainfall in the drawing up of business proposals for farmers. region, with maximum temperatures dropping to the Read the full article on the Manstrat AIS It further provides agricultural advisors with a mid twenties. While the rainfall also decreased signifi- website. platform to interact with each other in the cantly over the summer rainfall areas, these areas still www.manstrat.co.za - Climate Watch Discussion Forum on ESO, where they can and share received above normal rainfall. Read more... ideas amongst themselves.

In conclusion, we asked Tsholanang was asked why he would recommend the system to his colleagues ESO TIPS: and his answer was, “without any doubt, I will recommend ESO to my colleagues because I believe Fraud alert/scams for government tenders it enhances our job knowledge”. Thulani Zengele With the ever-increasing threat of internet fraud, scams with the domain you know, that you are dealing and cyber-crimes, users should remain vigilant. There are with a fake account, i.e.: National ESO Top User a few basic things to look out for when making payments or submitting personal account details on the web, and 1. Fake: tom@treasury .co.za website address: most importantly, DO NOT GIVE ANY information, if you www.treasury.org.za do not feel comfortable with the situation. 2. Correct: tom@treasury. gov.za website address: www.treasury. gov.za Verify that the sender email address corresponds with the URL/domain from where it was sent from. For example: • If still not convinced, rather search the relevant the if sender email address is [email protected] and the department’s name and request information website address is www.treasury.gov.za, the discrepancy from them, and quote the bid number in the address should make any user suspicious. Therefore: • Do background checks on your suppliers at your bank when possible • Pay attention to the extension of the email address Sindile Magoda given to you. It is highly likely that íf the email Be careful out there on the internet highway. address does not correspond a hundred percent

Congratulations to Sindile Magoda the ESO National Top Do you have any technology related questions? Send them to [email protected], with your name, province and User for May 2017. the question and we will answer them in a following newsletter edition.

Editor : Thembeka Zengele Publishers : Manstrat Agricultural Intelligence Solutions (Pty) Ltd. Correspondence : [email protected] | +27 12 460 2499

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