Tomato project helps grow economy, HERALD

HERALD (Morning Final) Page 2

An Eastern Cape tomato farming project, which planted its first seeds six months ago, is already reaping the rewards — and creating more than 100 jobs for a small town. Phetheho Motanyane and Themba Mazwai, owners of BNT Resources, identified a gap in the agricultural economy and pursued it through the production of jam tomatoes. Four years after initial research into the viability of a tomato project in Cookhouse and six months after planting seeds, the workforce started harvesting tomatoes this week. “It has been a good harvest so far. The national benchmark is 80 tons a hectare, and we are achieving about 90 tons a hectare,” said Motanyane, who is a hotelier by profession.

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