Honourable Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, who is the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Agriculture & Rural Development, visited Vryheid last week Thursday to conduct an initiative called the ‘Farm Dweller: One Home One Garden Intervention Programme’ in Lakeside Township.
The programme took place at a multi-purpose centre and the aim of the MEC’s visit was to encourage people to start a garden within their households to be able to produce food with their own hands. The KZN media liaison for Agriculture, Mac Makhathini, commented that “the MEC is responding to the call that was made by the former president, where it was said that no one should go the bed hungry. That was directed at Agriculture, because we are responsible for food security in the province and the country in general.”
Farm dwellers in the areas of Mhlakaza and Valitha benefited from the programme, receiving gardening equipment, fruit and vegetable trees and seeds, plus a bonus of food parcels. It was mentioned that the people received food parcels only because they still need to plant the seeds and it takes time to harvest. Therefore, while they plant their seeds, they have something in their stomachs and the energy to do so – but the main purpose was to hand over the gardening equipment so that the people are able to have something to eat every day. People were also told that they do not need a huge piece of land on which to plant; they can do four or five rows in their yards and produce fruit and / or vegetables for the family. The whole executive and the district director were present to assist with farming issues that ranged from crops to cattle. Mac also mentioned that another thing they are doing as the department is encouraging women and the youth to play a meaningful role in the sector of agriculture, as most farmers are aged 57 and above.
41 people received the gardening equipment and seeds that were handed over by the MEC.
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