agriculture agenda
3 April 2009
The government has embarked on a program 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.
The provincial government of the Western Cape convened a food summit on the
18th 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, and watering can), seeds and seedlings, fertilisers
and a wheelbarrow. The value of the suitcase is R5 000.
Saturday 4 April 2009, the Minister of Agriculture in the Western Cape,
Cobus Dowry will hand over six suitcases to members of the community of
Mannenberg as part of the food security drive. This is taking place in
conjunction with the proudly Mannenberg project.
The Minister will do the hand over at Noel Court in Manenberg at 09h00.
Directions: From N2
Take Heideveld turn off to Duinefontein road. Continue along Duimefontein
road. Continue over Klipfontein road, past the Manenberg South African Police
Service (SAPS), past Jooste Hospital. At Nyanga junction turn right into De
Downsâs road. At the circle continue straight until the firat road to the left
Usk road. (You will see a community sport field and community centre on the
right hand side (RHS) of Usk Rd. Contuinue to the end of Usk road and you will
see proudly Manenberg banners.
Enquiries:
Alie Van Jaarsveld
Cell: 079 467 1953
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Western Cape Provincial
Government
3 April 2009
