By:– SAnews.gov.za
Mbizana – President Jacob Zuma says
government is making strides in improving the lives of people especially
those in the rural areas.
“We have committed ourselves to
developing our rural areas. We want all our rural areas to have economic
activities so that our people can have jobs and also be able to make a
living from the land and from small businesses in rural areas,” the
President said on Friday.
He was speaking at the official launch
of the Mbizana Rural Enterprise Development (RED) Hub, an OR Tambo
Centenary Project at Dyifani village, in Mbizana, in the Eastern Cape.
A total of R53.5 million has been invested in establishing and operating the Mbizana RED Hub.
President Zuma said there is a need to stimulate growth through agriculture.
“It cannot be that we must all go to the cities to earn a living,” he said.
President Zuma said he is pleased with
the creation of the RED Hub as one of government’s efforts to stimulate
growth through agriculture and agro-processing.
“This development will alleviate poverty
and address low levels of development in the District. We are aware
that agriculture is the third highest contributor to the Alfred Nzo
District’s economy,” he said.
He said there is an urgent need for major new private sector investments to create jobs and improve livelihoods in the area.
“Our people must make a living from the
land, and must also not go hungry when they can produce food from the
land. We are thus happy with the partnerships between the local
municipality and other stakeholders to embark on massive grain
production with the aim of addressing high level of poverty in the
area,” the President said.
According to President Zuma, the
government has spent R100 million on the Ilima/Letsema national
conditional grant projects aimed at eradicating poverty and stimulating
the economy.
To date, the total amount invested by government in the RED Hubs over the past three years is R190 million.
“We urge the whole of government to
support local farmers by increasing public procurement of agricultural
products from our own primary producers,” he said.
President Zuma called on the national
government to support the farmers to ensure that they grow and move from
being subsistence farmers to commercial farmers.
The locals gave the RED HUB project a thumbs-up, saying it is going to create jobs for the locals.
“I am happy with the project since it is
in my area and it is going to reduce the high rate of unemployment in
the area,” said Xolelwa Majoni, a local resident.
“The project is not only about food, as the locals we are also going to learn a lot about agriculture,” she said.
Echoing the similar sentiments was
Japhter Tsolo, also a local resident, who told SAnews that he is now
able to provide for his family.
“I am employed at the project processing mealie mealie and packaging for the market,” he said.
The Mbizana RED Hub is one of the four
RED hubs in the Eastern Cape, implemented by the Rural Development and
Agrarian Reform (DRDAR)’s agency, the Eastern Cape Rural Development
Agency (ECRDA) and covers six wards which constitute 14 villages in the
Mbizana local municipality, Alfred Nzo District Municipality.
The RED Hub will service the villages
with a strong focus on value addition of grain as well as Hub primary
production, mechanisation and establishment of a trading centre for
farmers to assist cooperatives in growing the local rural economy to
create jobs and sustainable livelihoods.
The funds for the initiative have been
provided to ECRDA by the Eastern Cape Provincial treasury and ECRDA is
implementing the initiative.
The Mbizana RED Hub planted 986 ha in 2014/15 crop production season at 13 primary cooperatives.
The total white maize yield that was bagged was 317 tons and 226.5 tons was sold to Mqanduli RED Hub.
In 2015/16 crop production season, there
were only 488.1 ha planted land with white maize. This was attributed
to the dry and hot drought conditions that affected the entire country.
In 2016/17 crop production season, there is approximately 1459 ha
planted land with white maize.
Among others, who attendant the launch
was Agriculture Deputy Minister Bheki Cele, the Eastern Cape Premier,
Deputy Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams and senior government officials.
No comments:
Post a Comment