SMP 19059 Rapid water availability assessment for irrigated farming in KwaZulu-Natal (BO-48-003-006)

The NL-FSA is creating a joint partnership with a trust of the local community that have the land rights in a public-private-partnership cooperation. The task of the NL-FSA members is to provide expertise (capacity building, etc.) and technology (monitoring equipment, irrigation equipment, etc.). The trust is to provide labour and land. The KwaZulu-Natal Innovation Cooperative will be an innovative combination of four distinct modules:

• the commercial production unit that will produce on an area of 300 ha irrigated tree crops to sustain the basic financing of the center
• the experience center that facilitates an ongoing demonstration of latest technology adapted to the local needs
• the vocational agripreneurship training that enables the actual training-on-the job and
• the agribusiness incubator as an networking facility to exchange the collaboration between agribusiness parties who are looking for new products and sourcing opportunities in the field of innovative circular agriculture, and the graduated agripreneurs as local high capacity partners.

The strong involvement of Dutch Food security alliance members within the establishment of the KwaZulu-Natal Innovation Cooperative offers an unique gateway that will provide trade and technology partners from the Netherlands access to the emerging agribusiness market in KwaZulu-Natal, granting long lasting access to the local experience and the substantial support by King Good-will, as actual powerholder related to land use permits and agricultural development in KwaZulu-Natal.