“The lekgotla will inform the department of what needs to be done to transform the sector. Issues addressed include the lack of funding, access to land and water and climate change.”
The MEC for the Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, Mase Manopole, will host a farmers’ lekgotla for the Frances Baard district at Boontjieskraal on the N12 near Ritchie on June 9 and 10.
Spokesperson for the department, Zandisile Luphahla, said farmers’ lekgotlas were already held in the Namakwa, ZF Mgcawu and John Taolo Gaetsewe districts.
“The lekgotla will inform the department of what needs to be done to transform the sector. Issues including the lack of funding, access to land and water and climate change, will be addressed.”
He added that presentations would be made by funding institutions such as the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and Land Bank, National Agricultural Marketing Council, Department of Water and Sanitation, the national Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, climate experts, district municipalities and speakers on alternative agriculture and smart agriculture.
“Participants will be drawn from the land reform and food security beneficiaries, youth, women and farmers with disabilities, representatives of different commodities in each district and communal farmers.”
Meanwhile the portfolio committee on environment, forestry and fisheries will hold public hearings in the Northern Cape on the National Veld and Forest Fire Amendment Bill on June 10 and 11.
The amendment bill seeks to provide for the facilitation of the formation of fire protection associations by a municipality or a traditional council, to compel a municipality, state-owned enterprise, public entity or other organ of state land owner to join fire protection associations and to extend the powers of entry, search, seizure and arrest to peace officers and traditional leaders.
The hearings will take place on Friday, June 10 from 12 noon at the Tsantsabane municipal hall in Postmasburg and at theThabo Moorosi multipurpose centre in Kuruman on Saturday 11 from 10am.
