The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government has once again placed agriculture at the centre of its efforts to ensure sustainable food security, job creation and economic growth.
Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube unveiled the 2023/2024 Provincial Multi-Planting Season, a "government turnkey, fool-proof solution-driven campaign", aimed at mobilising resources, providing support, and access to finance, information and markets in the agricultural sector.
The Multi-Planting Season, led by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, is a holistic approach to aid communities and smallholder farmers by ensuring that they have sufficient, safe and nutritious food.
Dube-Ncube emphasised the need to find creative ways to cushion the country’s economy, ensure food sustainability and create jobs.
The Premier said this as the country grapples with rising food costs and high levels of unemployment, exacerbated by global geopolitical and market dynamics, including severe weather patterns.
“Agriculture is at the forefront of our strategy. Therefore, launching the multi-panting season is not just an event, but a programme that will change the lives of our people, especially the youth and rural communities,” Dube Ncube said.
The Premier said over 20 000 hectares of land will be planted this season throughout KwaZulu-Natal, with yellow maize, dry beans and all kinds of vegetables. Farmers will be linked to markets where they will sell their quality produce.
She said through the District Development Model, all champion MECs will be rolling out the provincial programme within their respective districts and communities.
Local communities will also be afforded opportunities to partner with the department to receive expert advice, farming implements, seedlings and traditional land for cooperative projects.
“Food security is a national challenge. KwaZulu-Natal province has several households in the poorest rural areas that are facing food insecurity. Therefore, the intervention by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to assist indigent families and farmers, affording them an opportunity to participate in the mainstream economy of the province is timely.
“This is a season for food security. We will do away with poverty and hunger and we want our people to create their own wealth through working the soil. We also want to further support the youth, who are interested in the agricultural sector, realise success and benefit from the sector’s value chain,” the Premier said.
Dube-Ncube also encouraged communities to work together with ward committees to access information about the provincial government’s programmes.
Agriculture and Rural Development MEC, Super Zuma, said the rain that fell over Impendle this week was a significant sign of success for the planting season.
Zuma reiterated his department’s commitment to continue to assist the rural communities to fight poverty and inequality.
“We will fight hunger and provide food security with our One Home One Garden Programme. There must not be a home without a garden,” Zuma said.
He said the department has been speaking to religious leaders to promote the One Church One Garden programme to their congregants and they have made a plea to them to partner with the department.
The department has also taken the programme to schools - One School One Garden - and has created jobs through the programme.
Zuma has visited the Ntshiyabantu Communal Estate, a 110-hectare cooperative which will be planting yellow maize this season, where he distributed tractors, fertiliser, manure and other chemicals to benefit all 67 members.
Cooperative Chairperson, Reuben Nkontwana, expressed his gratitude to the department’s intervention, noting the high level of unemployment in rural areas.
“Now that we have land and guaranteed assistance from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, not one family will go hungry. We are hoping for more rain so that we have plenty produce that will bring us enough money to support our families and have food to eat,” said an elated Nkontwana. – SAnews.gov.za
