Programme Director
SABC Executive Present
Farmer Unions Represented
Farmers Present
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good morning, Dumelang, Sanibonani,
I am honoured and delighted to be here this morning to address farmers at the 2012 Spring Show. It is even more gratifying to be addressing farmers at this Expo on day three (3) during a workshop that has been organised by SABC 2 Living Land.
Established in 1996, SABC Education is an SABC business unit responsible for delivering the educational mandate of the public broadcaster to millions of South Africans. Program Director, through the Living Land program, critical issues of developing agriculture and issues such as; the increase in food prices, the effects on agriculture and food security, global warming and the consequences for continued food production, land reform and small-scale farmers from a perspective of long-term empowerment, food security and economic growth are some of the critical issues this show has tackled over the past 16years.
Program Director, Ladies and Gentlemen it a further joy to address you at an Agricultural expo as you would recall that the Premier identified the revival of the Agricultural Expos as one of the projects in the 2009-2014 GPG strategy. As such the Expo seeks to complement the efforts of implementing Gauteng Agriculture Development Strategy (GADS).
In addition, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Expo seeks to create an additional platform for agriculture industry stakeholders across the value chain in Gauteng to interact successfully with the farming clientele within and outside the province.
Through the revival of the Expos we aim to create an environment where the Farmers, the small BEE companies in Agriculture and the input suppliers will be able to meet and showcase their products, a critical objective, as we are all aware of the triple challenges facing our country as stated by President Jacob Zuma during the state of the Nation Address in February, namely: unemployment, poverty and inequality. So we trust that through these expos business opportunities will be forged that will translate to jobs being created, poverty being tackled and thus curbing the growing inequality among our people.
Ladies and Gentlemen, as Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD), we also envisage these expos being fundamental in exposing the small scale farmer to other sources of inputs and equipment which increase the quantity of their produce as well as the quality thereof.
And in order to achieve our aims as GDARD, we partnered with the Spring Show in organising Agricultural Expo, that is why I am truly delighted to be here today to address you at this expo as it is a key in achieving our Gauteng Agriculture Development Strategy.
Ladies and Gentlemen, as GDARD we are committed to ensuring that we achieve the objectives of the strategy, as such for this year’s Expo, we have transported over 300 farmers from Gauteng to participate in the expo. This is to ensure that Gauteng farmers get exposure to new technology and production methods and explore the full benefits of the Expo.
Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me at this juncture to bring to your attention some of the benefits being at this expo yields for farmers.
Benefits from the Expo
- The farmers will get exposure of the companies or service providers that offer services like training advisories and financial services. This will result in enhanced skills on farming and financial management which is currently a challenge to the emerging farmers
- The farmers will have an opportunity of viewing different equipment and interact with the suppliers and learn new methods of farming operations using equipment relevant to their farming operations.
- merging farmers will get exposed to new technology and other methods of farming production that will lead to increased production and result in increased contribution to the Gauteng.
- Create an opportunity for the sale of agriculture related materials at promotional rates.
- GDARD will also have a stall at the expo where information on the services that the department is offering will be disseminated and communicated to the farmers.
In closing I wish to thank the SABC for being part of the expo and urge the farmers present today to take full advantage of these initiatives knowing that the Gauteng Department of Agriculture is fully behind them and will give them all the support needed to ensure they succeed in their chosen enterprises.
I thank you.
