Parys: The Director-General of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), Mr Langa Zita, met with the entire management team in a quarterly review meeting for three days. The objective of the meeting was to review the progress on the deliverables articulated in the department’s strategic plan for 2011/12 and also draft the strategic plan 2012/13.
According to the Director-General this meeting also looked into how the department can play its role in support of Smallholder Producers in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, to contribute towards food security and economic empowerment in the country. The meeting further looked into the refinement of its job creation plans in support of the government’s overall job creation strategy. The third focal area was on the Zero Hunger Programme which will be launched in this financial year. The details of the programme will only be released after Cabinet approval.
The meeting also deliberated on how DAFF will strengthen its institutional capacity to change the rural landscape. A decision was also made to allocate one senior manager for every district municipality in South Africa. This will ensure that the department is positioned to provide support, working with the provinces and local government to ensure food security and the creation of jobs in agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector. Senior managers have also been appointed to each commodity group to represent the department in its engagement with the commercial sector. This will ensure that the department is at the coal face of dealing with the concerns of the established commercial sector timeously as a means to enhance economic development.
The above resolutions of the meeting will form part of the presentation by the top management led by the Director-General to the parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries next week on Tuesday. “These quarterly review meetings are a permanent feature to enable the department to assess the impact of its programmes and to strengthen the government programme on agrarian reform and addressing the food security to our people,” said the Director-General.
For more information contact:
Mr Steve Galane
Tel: +27 12 319 7960
Fax: +27 12 319 6943
Cell: +27 83 635 7346
E-mail: SteveGAL@daff.gov.za / stevegalane@mtn.blackberry.com
