Price hikes necessitates City of Ekurhuleni to address food security
CoE to release strategic land parcels for light production, farming and agri-processing.
Ekurhuleni Mayor Sivuyile Ngodwana in his State of the City spoke about food security.
He said the poor are affected by price hikes.
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“The 2023 Household Affordability Index indicates that basic food items like sugar beans, rice, flour, and bread have seen price hikes of between 31% and 68% year on year.
“The high price increases have necessitated an examination of food systems and value chains to gain a wider understanding of their transitional and transfer mechanisms, which continues to impact food security and urban poverty within the municipal jurisdiction,” said Ngodwana.
He said the City of Ekurhuleni resolved that its response to the food security challenge in Ekurhuleni hinges on its understanding of the availability, accessibility and affordability equation which impacts negatively the poorest of the poor.
CoE resolved to radically release strategic land parcels for light production, farming and agri-processing through a capable and developmental approach that will enable collaboration, leveraging and technology diffusion amongst economic players on a fair and equitable basis.
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CoE also undertook to ensure food security by:
• Developing and supporting small-scale farmers through farmland release programmes.
• Provide basic training and ongoing capacitation programme to enhance farming skills and new technologies.
• Introducing local black farmers into the Ekurhuleni fresh produce market as a way of opening access to the market.
• Prioritising the fresh produce market for job creation and food security.
• Addressing the need for a development programme that deals with household food security and coping strategies while supporting small-scale food traders and producers.
• Addressing the ability of food traders to source and grow various food products. This is reliant on their ability to access land that is nearby and land that is fit for medium-to-large-scale farming.
The city will also initiate a programme called Fetsa Tlala, which will support home-based food gardens and viable co-operative food garden projects.
