New MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa delivered the 2024/25 budget vote for the Gauteng department of agriculture and rural development. In her address, she emphasised the severe issues of poverty, unemployment, and chronic hunger affecting 5.5 million residents in Gauteng.
Ramokgopa said her department will have three key priorities which are ending hunger, supporting the commercialisation and mainstream of small-scale farmers, and facilitating economic growth and creation of sustainable jobs.
“Urban hunger is the silent pandemic depriving our children of the ability to learn and develop at the appropriate rate due to early childhood stunting and it is our duty as the seventh administration to close the urban-rural spatial divide and accelerate the fight against hunger using all available resources,” she said.
Budget overview
Ramokgopa announced a total budget of R1.035 billion, with specific allocations for agriculture and rural development (R459 million) and administration (R281 million).
“These numbers are meaningless if we cannot translate them into tangible outcomes for the people of Gauteng. If we cannot ensure that every child in this province receives adequate nutrition, that the people of Gauteng work and that our businesses thrive and grow, this exercise will have been futile,” said Ramokgopa.
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Ramokgopa announced that the primary focus is on ensuring that every household in Gauteng has access to affordable, nutritious food.
“The department’s food security programmes aim to educate and equip community members with the skills and resources necessary for food production, particularly in TISH areas (townships, informal settlements, and hostels) and rural areas.”
Food, funding, women top list
On supporting small-scale farmers, Ramokgopa said that the commercialisation programme is designed to improve production capacity and market penetration for new and small-scale farmers and agro-processors.
She explained that a memorandum of agreement totalling R55 million will be signed with various commercial farming entities in August. Additionally, 15 Gauteng smallholder grain farmers have been approved for funding of about R70 million, in partnership with Land Bank and PepsiCo.
“The department is committing R12m towards this programme which entails utilisation of other platforms such as farmers markets,” she said.
Meanwhile, on economic growth and job creation, Ramokgopa said agro-processing is going to be prioritised as a key enabler for re-industrialisation and sustainable job creation.
“A three-year memorandum of agreement with the national empowerment fund aims to enhance access to funding for agro-processors through blended funding mechanisms.
“We are intensifying our support for unemployed agriculture graduates through work experience programmes in partnership with the agricultural industry as well as a dedicated agri-internship programme.”
Ramokgopa said women will take centre stage in the department’s plans to start. She will host the annual Women Entrepreneurs Awards later this month to recognise the contributions of women farmers to employment and food security in the agricultural sector.
“All the women farmers in various categories will all receive awards totalling R6 million in order to further support their food production initiatives and agribusinesses.
“We commit that no single rand that is meant to enrich and enhance communities in our province go unspent and we declare that the Gauteng province will rise again!,” Ramokgopa said.
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Staff Reporter
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