Cape â Philippi Roadshow
24 January 2009
In the Western Cape, agriculture is one of the cornerstones in our fight
against poverty and the social well-being of our people. The possession of
agricultural land is a very important part of the programme of the ANC to
redress the wrongs of the past.
Since the birth of our new democracy this government has worked tirelessly
to make sure that every citizen who has the desire to own a piece of land and
to work that land, has an equal opportunity to do so. Even more so since the
ANC came into power in the Western Cape in 2004, we undertook to speed up the
process of reform and service delivery to our people who still did not benefit
from the new democratic South Africa since 1994.
Yesterday I handed a project over to 255 farm workers in Ceres, where the
workers acquired a 74% share in a farm and fruit cold storage facility. We have
spent R11,6 million on this land reform project. During November we launched an
empowerment project on a farm called Arborlane where 58 farm workers became
full partners in the farming activities. In the Overberg, 197 beneficiaries
were empowered on a farm called Arrieskraal.
In Prince Alfred Hamlet and Wolseley 116 farm workers became part of the
Denou farming operations through funding from the Land Redistricution for
Agricultural Development (LRAD) programme. The Department of Agriculture also
contributed R346 000 towards the creation of infrastructure on this farm. This
year is the year of election and the time when you, the people, must judge us
and say are we keeping our promise of 2004. Did we and are we still delivering
and improving your quality of life through the programmes that we are
implementing in the department?
In the Western Cape Department of Agriculture we are very clear that it is
part of our role to see to the sustainable development of everybody, including
the youth and women in agriculture, as agriculture is the main engine of
economic growth in most communities.
In order to obtain these goals we want you, the people to become full
partners through programmes that will empower all our people, even girls and
boys at an early age; to look at agriculture as the very essence of our
subsistence and to have a full knowledge of the importance of the protection of
our resources through land care, environmental protection programs and best
practises in agriculture.
Since 2004 our programme for farm worker development spent R8,4 million on
43 projects for skills development of 10 500 farm workers. We have promoted the
equitable deployment of knowledge and communications resources for civic
empowerment and promotions to you as the society to be well informed about
agriculture and land affairs through well planned information programmes, such
as the programmes that is run by the Cape Institute for Agricultural Training
at Elsenburg, our programme for farmer settlement, development, veterinary
services and our co-ordinated programme with the Department of Land
Affairs.
Human capital development remains a key development challenge in the
agricultural sector. We believe that we have to create opportunities for our
children and the people that work in agriculture. We must have well trained
staff to take care of your needs when you approach the department for help.
The Department has since 2004:
* Provided a work experience to more than 300 interns;
* More than 100 bursaries to employees in various areas ranging from
undergraduate, degrees and diplomas to PhDs;
* 17 employees received learnership training;
* 30 employees received ABET training;
* More than 40 employees were assisted to complete grade 10 and 12; and
* 21 bursaries have been awarded to external bursaries in engineering,
veterinary science, agricultural economics and biodiversity.
This government is well aware of the fact that food security is one of the
most pressing issues on the agriculture agenda, as it is not only of utmost
importance for agriculture to provide food for the nation, but it plays a vital
role in our fight against poverty and to make sure that you will have food on
your table.
Closer to home in your area, for the year 2008/09, the department supported
36 projects in Khayelitsha, mainly vegetable gardens on public land. The
projects benefited a total of 345 persons, including 236 women, 35 youth and 12
disabled persons. The total investment amounts to R900 000.00
Here in Philippi we have spent R1 090 000.00 during 2007/08 on five
projects, benefiting 25 people and during this financial year we are spending
R1 077 538.00 to benefit 17 people. You can visit the offices of the department
in Philippi Business Place, behind Shoprite, Cwangco Crescent, Corner of
Lansdowne and New Eisleben Road where our two field officers will assist
you.
We have launched a campaign called Ilema/Letsema as a national effort to
ensure that no land lies fallow and that communities and all role players
leverage land as a resource to fight poverty and hunger, increase food security
and to contribute towards government objective of a better life for all.
This campaign seeks to encourage communities and all stakeholders to unleash
a green revolution on the arable fallow land by tilling it to feed themselves
and the nation. In view of the soaring food prices, the Provincial Government
of Western Cape convened a food summit on 18 June 2008 which brought together
Government Departments, labour, business and civil society organisations in
order to find solutions to challenges of food insecurity faced by the people of
the Western Cape.
In order to address this, it was decided that:
* The Department of Agriculture should promote the concept of backyard gardens,
particularly for the food insecure households
* That agriculture should develop a strategy to rehabilitate existing gardens
with a view to increase production
* To review the availability and release of unused land publicly owned
(especially schools and hospital land), to be used productively for food
availability
* To ensure arable land is released for the establishment of food
gardens.
In response to the summit resolutions, the Department of Agriculture devised
a strategy, namely the household food production suitcase, to be able to
address the issue of food insecurity at the household level. The household food
production suitcase would enable our Department to respond to the challenges
facing households that has no access to land for food production.
The suitcase consists of a family irrigation system, garden tools: spade,
fork, rake, domestic hose, watering can, seeds, seedlings, fertilisers and a
wheelbarrow. You will be able to see what the suitcase looks like at the
exhibition of the Department here today. The value of the suitcase is R5
000.00
The departmentâs personnel will continuously monitor performance of gardens
and provide extension support. In addition, the District Food Security Task
Team will ensure linkage of projects with local business for the marketing
surplus produce, thus securing long-term viability of the projects. We have
been involved in the Philippi Market where we will also work with you to
deliver your products to the market, especially for those people that are
involved in bigger gardens and who are producing enough to sell to the
market.
Programme Director, I can carry on to give you many examples of the
involvement of Agriculture to assist you to improve your quality of life, but
what is most important is for you to know that every day this government is
working hard to make sure that you will have a better life. Most of all it is
important for you to know that there are programmes and schemes where you can
get involved to fight off poverty and social problems. I want to invite you to
make sure that you visit the help desks that we provide here today so that you
can register your needs and allow us to assist you in those needs.
Enquiries:
Mr Alie van Jaarsveld
Cell: 084 604 6701
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Western Cape Provincial
Government
24 January 2009
