development summit
10 September 2006
The Department of Agriculture in collaboration with Ngcobo Municipality in
Chris Hani District will be hosting an agricultural development summit from 12
- 13 September 2006.The event will be held at Ngcobo Indoor Sports Centre,
commencing at 09h00.
According to Mr Bese, Manager for agriculture at the Ngcobo Municipality,
the objectives of the summit are to:
* meet the needs of the farmers
* decentralise resources
* disseminate critical resources
* encourage private �public partnership
* endorse Memorandum of Understanding between investors and farmers.
Mr Bese said the expected outcomes of the summit are a strategic document
which will guide the agricultural development of Ngcobo. "We would like the
summit to come up with a regional strategic plan to implement the 'six peg
policy' of the Department of Agriculture," said Bese. The six peg policy was
announced by MEC Nkwinti in his policy speech of 2006/2007, and comprises of
the following:
priorities: rehabilitation of irrigation schemes and equipment, building of
stock dams, fencing of arable lands, building infrastructure, providing
tractors and implements and human resource development.
He further said the summit will identify all relevant stakeholders and their
responsibilities and will identify bottlenecks. "Lastly there will be pledges
and commitments by stakeholders through signing Memorandum of Understanding
between investors and farmers", said Mr Bese.
He said a lot of topics will be discussed at the summit which includes:
resource planning, Land Administration Act, crop research, livestock
production, marketing opportunities, human resource development and strategic
funding.
MEC Nkwinti is expected to open the summit and businessmen like Mr Saki
Macozoma are expected to speak. Members of Parliament, business people, farmer
representatives and officials will participate in the summit.
Enquiries:
Thando Sonjica
Cell: 082 774 4768
Mr Black
Cell: 082 578 4237
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Eastern Cape Provincial
Government
10 September 2006
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za)
