General Bheki Cele flies the SA Flag high in Iran
"Agriculture, the catalyst for economic growth"
Following the pronouncement of the State of the Nation Address, the agricultural sector remains highly targeted in terms of economic growth, job creation and food security. The sector is proving to be equal to the task in realising the goals set by the president.
By invitation, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture¸ Forestry and Fisheries of South Africa, Honourable General Bheki Cele and accompanying delegation made an official visit to the Deputy Minister of Animal Production affairs of the Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture of the I.R. of Iran, H.E. Dr Rokni.
During the South African delegation’s stay, the Deputy Minister held meetings with Deputy Ministers of Livestock Production Affairs, Research, Training and Extension; and fisheries organisations. Deputy Minister Cele also paid a courtesy visit to Deputy Minister Amir-Abdollahian. The Deputy Minister also conducted field visits to a dairy farm near the city of Abyek in the Qazvin province, an olive production farm (Gilan Agro Industry Co.), a poultry farm and poultry abattoir in Gilan Province, and also visited aquaculture facilities: sturgeon and trout breeding centres.
During the visit, the Deputy Minister was able to guide the parties to undertake to cooperate in the following areas:
1. Research and Development
2. Technical skills and knowledge transfer
3. Education, training and staff exchange programmes
4. Enhancing production capacity and value chain efficiency in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
5. Regulatory services
6. Promotion of market access in agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
The draft for a Memorandum of Understanding covering these cooperation areas is expected to be signed during the 12th Joint Commission scheduled for 16 to 17 March 2015 in Tehran, Iran. The Deputy Minister and his counterparts established two working groups to focus on agriculture and fisheries and give impetus to the identified areas of cooperation. The working groups will meet in Pretoria to finalise outstanding matters relating to the implementation plan of the MoU. The pre-meetings will culminate to the presidential visit later in the year to finalise the bilateral trade relations between the two countries.
Media contact:
Nonkululeko Mbatha
Cell: 083 645 6252
E-mail: NonkululekoM@daff.gov.za
