Fourth leg of Farmers Makgotla held in Frances Baard

MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform convened the fourth leg of the Farmers Makgotla in Frances Baard on Thursday and Friday, 9 and 10 June 2022.

Department spokesperson, Zandisile Luphahla said that MEC Mase Manopole has been embarking on a Province-wide Farmers Makgotla, which started in Namakwa, followed by ZF Mgcawu and John Taolo Gaetsewe Districts.

He explained that the Makgotla is a broad outcome based exercise, which will inform the Department of what needs to be done to transform the sector which are underpinned on the following key elements:

· Lack of funding,

· Lack of access to land,

· Lack of markets and

· Lack of access to water.

· Climate change.

· Other issue affecting transformation of the sector

“The two-day Lakgotla will receive presentations from funding institutions such as the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and Land Bank, National Agricultural Marketing Council, Department of Water and Sanitation, the national Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Climate experts, District Municipalities and speakers on alternative agriculture and smart agriculture.

Participants will be drawn from the Land Reform and Food Security Beneficiaries, Youth, Women and Farmers with disability, Representation of different commodities in each district and Communal Farmers,” Luphahla said.