Involving the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and the provincial departments of agriculture, it’s aimed at dealing with the “structural problems of food insecurity”, according to a DAFF press release.
Through Fetsa Tlala government intends to assist small-scale and smallholder producers to put at least 1 million hectares of arable land across SA under production by 2019.
The launch saw the planting of maize and the handing over of vegetable starter packs and livestock, including 24 Nguni cattle and 20 Boer goats, to the Manyeding Co-operative in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality.
The co-op was formed in 2010 and has 158 members from three villages in the area. It received R5 million from the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme during the period 2013/2014 season. Crops produced include organic vegetables such as cabbage, pumpkin, onions, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.
The same day also saw the launch of DAFF’s Primary Animal Healthcare (PAHC) Programme at Batlharos Stadium. Part of the department’s initiative to combat animal diseases and improve access to veterinary services in remote rural areas, the PAHC Programme is a nationwide project intended to complement the recently approved Compulsory Community Service (CCS) Programme for newly qualified vets.
