Sweet smell of success

2003-11-18 12:35

Thandee N'wa Mhangwana

Giyani - The air at the Hihanyile - "we have survived" - Essential Oil Project, outside Giyani, is fragrantly sweet with the gentle smells of geranium and lemon grass.

The plants are being grown under the watchful eye of project manager Alfred Ngomani and will be turned into oil for use in perfumes, soaps, lotions and even toothpaste, medicine and cooldrinks.

The geraniums cover five hectares of the 30ha farm and will soon cover 20ha, while the remaining 10ha is covered by lemon grass and another plant called BP1.

"The plants are perfect for this place because they are drought- resistant and will be profitable because no one will steal them, unlike planting vegetables or fruits," Ngomani said.

The plants live for up to six years and can be harvested every three months, allowing for a higher turnover.

The R1.5m project was initiated by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) with the help of the national department of arts, science and technology and the provincial department of agriculture.

The two departments provided funding and supplied the farmers with tractors and lorries, while the CSIR helped identify plants suitable for the area and provided training from germination in the nursery to harvesting.

The project started in October last year and employs 34 workers, who also own the project.

The farmers were selected from the nearby Bode, Dzingi-Dzingi, Skhunyani, and Ngobe villages, where unemployment is high.

"It’s wonderful to be a farmer and an owner at the same time, and running away from the loneliness of unemployment," said one project member, Tinyiko Mabunda.

Ngomani said the CSIR would only be helping the project until March next year, when the farmers will be on their own.

"By then we will have had our first harvest and a better idea about how this kind of farming works," he said.

The first harvest is scheduled this week, after which the plants will be distilled into oil and packaged.

Initially, the CSIR will sell the oil on behalf of the project, but then Ngomane and his team will be responsible for all sales and marketing, both locally and internationally.

- African Eye