Promoting food security

IN its quest to ensure food security among the most deprived households, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development at uMhlathuze Local Office visited Ngwelezana Clinic to plant orange trees and donate food manure last week.

Speaking to the Zululand Observer during the event, the Department’s Senior Agricultural Advisor Khanyisile Mthabela said the initiative was part of celebrating Heritage month.

‘This is our contribution as a department in promoting food security. We are working in collaboration with Community Care Givers in Ward 27, who identified these indigent families during their regular visits.

‘We will be visiting other households in Jabulani Section, Isigisi Reserve and Macekeni Reserve to plant the fruit trees.

‘The beauty about this initiative is that it promotes inter-departmental partnership, under the banner of the Operation Sukuma Sakhe campaign,’ she said.

Ngwelezana Clinic Operational Manager Nelisiwe Roman welcomed the initiative.

‘We thank the Department of Agriculture for planting orange fruit trees.

‘Apart from providing shade for patients, the fruit also contains vitamin C. If we could get more seedlings we would be happy, because there is need for fresh produce,’ she said.