MEC for Agriculture Manketse Tlhape has encouraged residents to get involved in farming and to have backyard gardens for food security.
She was speaking at the World Food day commemoration which was held at Schweizer Reneke in the North West. World Food Day is celebrated annually by about 150 countries, that are United Nations member states.
Tlhape also highlighted that there is a need for more food security projects in mostly disadvantage rural areas as that will help many impoverished people.
She also says they have donated more than 50 pigs and distributed garden equipment. Tlhape adds that more food security programmes will be rolled out to other areas in the province to encourage the hungry to feed themselves out of their own gardens and also generate income.
“Such programmes that we are doing of food security, we are coming to areas like Mamusa and make sure that we establish food gardens, backyard gardens. We also support the food security programmes and projects within different local areas to make sure that every household become food secure.”)
Mommy Kgobe has been a farmer since 2005. Kgobe discovered her passion for farming through her backyard garden. She had this to say.
(“With backyard garden, you can plant a few vegetables, so that if you only have money for maize meal, then you know you’ll have a full meal. We’re teaching people that they go somewhere with backyard gardening.”
Livestock farming has also been encouraged and Kemoreng Pitsoeame owns a piggery with 21 other locals. He says they are grateful that their project will not only benefit them, but other communities too.
(“Year before last, our pigs were killed by African swine flu. After that, we grouped ourselves and formed a cooperative. But this is to us important, because we were given cooperative officially and that is giving us a chance to go forward now.”
The farmers say despite facing various challenges — such as water shortages — the provincial government supports them to ensure that their projects become a success.
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