Pretoria – The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has signed an agreement with Tiger Brands to ensure support for smallholder farmers to supply finished agricultural commodities to the company.
The collaboration coincides with the approved Agriculture Policy Action Plan (APAP), which seeks to promote labour absorption and expand market sharing through coordinated strategic interventions that target increased value-chain efficiencies and competitiveness.
Through its agricultural commodities enterprise supplier development, Tiger Brands intends to contract producers and offer guaranteed off-take agreements on sunflower and maize, among other crops.
Speaking at a ceremony held to sign the agreement in Pretoria on Friday, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana said the intent of the partnership was premised on the department’s priorities and key intervention areas which are food security, job creation and contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Zokwana noted that the partnership presents itself at the right time as the department is in the process of increasing production through the Fetsa Tlala Food Production Initiative.
“This initiative is aimed at increasing food accessibility, affordability and availability by putting one million hectares of underutilised land under production by the 2018/19 production season. Among the commodities targeted for the Fetsa Tlala Food Production initiative are maize, beans and potatoes.
“The parties are now in a process of signing a service level agreement which will see implementation starting in the Western Cape, Limpopo, North West and Gauteng provinces. The priority crops are beans, tomatoes and sunflowers,” Minister Zokwana said.
Tiger Brands Deputy Chairperson Bheki Sibiya said the partnership would act as a catalyst for broader rural development, creating jobs inside and outside farming in both services and production sectors.
“This partnership also will promote agricultural development in a manner that translates into rural skills development and poverty alleviation. It has a potential not only to raise productivity, bring food security and lift rural people out of poverty, but also to act as a catalyst for broader rural development, creating jobs outside of farming in both services and production sectors.
“Vision 2030 of the National Development Plan calls for inclusive rural economy. We believe that people should have access to high quality service that will enable them to be well nourished, healthy and increasingly skills,” said Sibiya. – SAnews.gov.za
