Berea, June 23 — The Berea Business Forum (BBF) says it has strengthened community support through agricultural initiatives and secured a partnership to benefit local poultry farmers, despite facing challenges related to governance, infrastructure and member participation.
During an interview with the agency, BBF Secretary General Mrs ‘Mamoratuoa Ntšekhe said the forum has successfully served communities using its tractor, an initiative that has had a positive impact on residents while also helping to increase the organisation’s income.
She said BBF has entered into a partnership with the Rural Self-Help Development Association (RSDA), through which six breeder-unit farmers from the forum are expected to receive poultry. However, she noted that they are still awaiting results from RSDA and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition following inspections of the poultry houses to determine whether they meet the required standards.
Mrs Ntšekhe said one of the challenges facing the forum is that it was established by large-scale farmers in Berea, while its constitution has not yet been finalised to accommodate small-scale farmers adequately. She added that the organisation is still waiting for the Law Office to provide its constitution.
She further highlighted the lack of a dedicated meeting place for members and investors as another challenge. In addition, she said member participation remains low, and youth involvement in the forum is limited.
Mrs Ntšekhe encouraged young people to join cooperatives as a way of addressing unemployment and working collectively to improve Berea’s economy.
BBF is a cooperative operating in the agriculture, hospitality, textile and arts sectors. Its objective is to stimulate economic growth in Berea and attract investment to the district.
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