Minister Didiza meets Agriculture and Agro-Processing Stakeholders for further discussions of the Agriculture and Agro-Processing Master Plan (AAMP)
Today, the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Ms Thoko Didiza, MP met with the representatives of Agriculture Unions, Agribusiness, Labour Unions, and Civil Society, amongst other stakeholders, to assess progress on the drafting and consultations of the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan.
Minister Didiza indicated that "the first meeting of the Master Plan took place on June 26, 2020, at the height of the pandemic, where social partners adopted the framework for developing the Master Plan. Since then, stakeholder consultations have examined various Agriculture and Agro-processing sub-sectors and how these can be expanded to contribute to economic growth, inclusiveness, and job creation. These efforts are part of the broader Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan the President announced late last year."
The process is rigorous and evidence-based, led by the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), Bureau for Food and Agriculture Policy (BFAP) and Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED).
"Today's engagement was fruitful in that it identified areas that require further negotiations amongst partners and action plans for implementation as we approach the completion of the Master Plan. We hope that social partners will continue supporting this important initiative and remain committed to implementing the Master Plan when we have completed drafting it," says Minister Didiza.
Minister Didiza congratulated the partners for this milestone and looked forward to the social partners' next engagement.
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