THE city of Johannesburg’s executive mayor, Parks Tau, visited the Eikenhof farm to show the city’s determination to keep hunger at bay through food security, on Wednesday, March 23.
The South of Johannesburg farm is home to 35 co-operatives producing vegetables, grains and livestock under the Food Resilience Programme, which is run by the City’s Department of Health and Social Development.
The programme was developed in response to research in 2011 that revealed that more than 400 000 Johannesburg residents went without food for at least three days a month. As a short-term solution, the City identified the most indigent families and provided them with food parcels. However, farming was seen as a long-term solution to deal with food shortages and poverty. Residents were encouraged to start food gardens in their homes, and the Eikenhof Farm is one of three major projects the City is running to fulfil its mission to ensure that no residents of Johannesburg go hungry.
The mayor was joined on his visit to the 271-hectare Eikenhof Farm by more than 1 000 people, including farmers, local residents, councillors and members of the Faith-Based Organisation. Thriving vegetable patches, vegetable tunnels and livestock pens dot the farm, which has been in production for the past three years.
Tau said the farm was critical in improving the welfare of the community. He said although there was no single solution to the war against poverty, it was important for the City to work with communities to end hunger.
“Some of the produce from this farm is already being sold at the Fresh Produce Market in City Deep. Other co-operatives are supplying supermarkets such as Boxer, Pick n Pay and others. The Fresh Produce Market, a City entity, determines prices. Fresh produce from Eikenhof influences prices because vegetables are produced nearer the market,” said the mayor.
He also pleaded for private investment, saying this would create more jobs for the community.
