agricultural unions
15 March 2006
Northern Capeâs MEC for Agriculture and Land Reform Tina Joemat-Pettersson
will tomorrow at 12h00 pm, address the annual general meeting (AGM) of the
South African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) on behalf of the
Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Ms Thoko Didiza, in Pretoria. SACAU
represents a string of commercial and emerging farmer organisations within the
South African Development Community (SADC) on matters that includes; marketing
and trade, regional development of the sub-continent, land settlement, labour,
research, extension and training.
The MEC is expected to flag the role the unions in the implementation of New
Partnership for Africaâs Development (NEPAD)âs Comprehensive Africa
Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), support of the establishment and
strengthening of centres of excellence for the development of African
agriculture and creating avenues for Pan-African collaboration among
international, regional and national research and extension programmes. This
collaboration resulted in Nigeria replacing Brazil as the topmost producer of
cassava and stands as a hallmark of Africaâs agricultural developmental
vestige.
Representatives from the SADC, International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
will also address this all-important meeting. The AGM ends on Friday, 17 March
2006.
Enquiries:
Thabo Mothibi
Cell: 083 255 8840
Issued by: Department of Agriculture and Land Reform
15 March 2006
