for 6 irrigation schemes in Keiskammahoek
2 August 2006
Programme Director
Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Ms L Xingwana
MEC for Agriculture, Mr G.E Nkwinti
Members of the Provincial government
Members of the Municipal Government
Members of the House of Traditional Leaders
Honoured guests
Ladies and gentlemen
I have pleasure in addressing you on this very important issue of the
resuscitation of the Keiskama Irrigation Scheme. My joy comes from the fact
that we are a government that delivers. On 23 March 2006 we made a political
commitment through our Provincial Department of Agriculture, that we would
resuscitate the large irrigation schemes, namely, Ncora, Qamata, Shiloh,
Keiskammahoek, Zanyokwe and Tyefu. Today we can confidently come to you to say,
âHere is what we promised youâ. Through this project we will begin to deliver
on the Strategic Objective of our Provincial Development Growth and Development
Plan (PGDP), which says we need to embark on the Agrarian transformation and
strengthen household food security. In terms of this strategic objective we aim
to:
* deliver a massive food production programme
* enhance the agricultural infrastructure programme.
The Keiskama Irrigation Scheme is one of the places where a R3 million dairy
parlour, with the capacity to milk 50 cows at a time, will be erected. This
will be built with a corresponding dairy pastures for about 1 000 cows. The
Eastern Cape government believes in cooperative governance as enshrined in
chapter 3 of the South African Constitution. To that end, for this project we
have engaged an Israeli company to provide technical support and to organise
investors and markets. The completion of the parlour will take four months from
now. The completion of the arrangements and the partnership between the
developing farmers and commercial farmers are in place. It is therefore a huge
and important milestone that our government has achieved. This project will
assist us to deal a big dent against poverty in the province. This is where the
expression, âwe will never abandon the poorâ finds its expression.
A 2005 study by Project Provide found that many household in the Eastern
Cape are involved in agriculture, but these agricultural activities do not
represent a source of income for these households. According to this research
the average household earned R29 699 while those involved in agricultural
activities earned less than their non- agricultural counterparts. This and
other research points to the lack of or less agricultural skills to manage the
whole process of agricultural production. To a great extent we are still
subsistence farmers and depend on the knowledge passed from generation to
generation.
We need knowledge and skills that are able to address the issues of
greening, issues of the continuing and devastating droughts we have in
sub-Saharan Africa, the issues of pestilence and how to fight the increasingly
resistant strains that affect our production. I have pleasure in informing you
that not only will this project provide 630 people with direct employment, but
the commercial and emerging farmers around the area have made a commitment to
train the youth in the area in agricultural and farming skills. These youth
will come back and be managers. However, I would add and urge that the youth
must not regard being managers as being in white collars and ties only, but
must work hard so that they practically learn all facets of agriculture. The
author, Margaret Carty, once said, âComing together is a beginning, staying
together is progress, working together is successâ. Let us all work together
for the success of this project.
I thank you
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
2 August 2006
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za/)
