Pretoria - The South African government is hoping to increase the number of smallholding farmers and black commercial farmers in the next five years to reduce the growing food security challenges currently facing the country.
"If we can reach out to 300 000 smallholding farmers in the next five years and at least 30 000 black commercial farmers over the next five years, then we would have as a country contributed towards food security and [ending] hunger," Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister, Tina-Joemat Petersson, explained on SAfm's After 8 Debate on Thursday.
Joemat-Petersson said agriculture had been placed as a high priority of government.
"It is a good achievement for agriculture in the history of the country that it has been placed at the second level of the economy as the primary job creator. We've committed to create 300 000 jobs through small holding farms," she said.
The minister used the opportunity to emphasise the importance of s
