North West Agriculture Department is to provide farmers with fertilisers and other farming essentials in an effort to help emerging black farmers survive the drought in the province. The department will start with providing manure and other essentials to sustain farming activities. President of the North West Black Farmers Union, Gideon Morule commended the government's mechanisation programme for helping some black farmers to acquire farming machinery. The mechanisation programme is aimed at providing farming equipment, including tractors and other machines to farmers.