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Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System Date: 31 Jul 2008 Title: SA urged to grow own food, vegetables -------------------- By Nthambeleni Gabara Polokwane - Government has urged South Africans and stakeholders in the agriculture sector to grow their own food in the face of soaring food prices. Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Lulu Xingwana said South Africans must use every piece of arable land to plant vegetables. "Let's go back to our mealie fields and plough. We are urging all South Africans both in urban and rural areas to develop vegetable gardens in their respective yards," she said. Delegates at the national Agri-Consultation Conference in Limpopo are deliberating on how to increase agricultural productivity and utilise more agricultural land to help mitigate the effects of high food prices in the country which negatively impacts on the poor. Held under the theme: war on poverty, towards sustainable food security, jobs and wealth creation through Agriculture, the summit aims to bring together stakeholders in the sector, to address challenges facing agriculture today and to come up with practical solutions. These challenges include high food prices, food insecurity and poverty. According to the minister, South Africa has lost its net exporter status to become a net importer globally. This was a trend that needed to be reversed through investment in infrastructure and research. Ms Xingwana said agricultural production was struggling to keep up with growing demand for products, due to the population growing 32.2 percent while agricultural production increased by only 10 percent. The availability of water is a restriction on agricultural production in South Africa, and rainfall is unevenly distributed and there are periodic droughts. According to the minister, other factors such as a lack of access to land, water markets and finances are hindering emerging farmers and preventing them from making substantive progress in farming. This gave way to a cycle of skills deficit, crushing poverty, underdeveloped markets and low rates of investment. The under representation of women and youth in agribusiness is also a concern. Ronald Ramabulana, Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Marketing Council, said one of the critical factors in developing emerging farmers was the lack of infrastructure which impacted on the ability of black communities to engage in meaningful rural based economic activities. However, Ms Xingwana said Black Economic Empowerment and land reform initiatives had played a major role in addressing the imbalances of the past. According Statistics South Africa, food price inflation year-to-year increased by 17 percent from May 2007 to May 2008. The increase in food prices has once again resulted in putting the plight of the poor and impoverished on the agenda of governments world over. Food prices have recently increased to levels where major international organisations have labelled it as reaching crises proportions. Worldwide food prices have increased by 45 percent over the last nine to ten months and stock levels of major staples are long-run lows. These resulted in serious shortage of major staples such as rice, wheat and maize. World stock levels for wheat declined by 16 percent and maize by a marginal 0.8 percent. - BuaNews |
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