Accessing markets and participating in the mainstream economy are some of the barriers facing the majority of black South African emerging farmers.

 

In her quest to mitigate this state of affairs, eThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede will tomorrow, 3 April 2019 “launch the Access to Markets Programme” where she will unpack progress made by the Municipality to enable small holding farmers access markets.

 

The event also aims to lobby government departments to procure produce from emerging farmers and advocate for them to have a slice of the private sector pie.

 

“Government is the major procurer of goods and services but I am not sure if we have done enough to ensure that we buy aggressively from upcoming farmers. We have got prisons, old age homes, school feeding schemes, hospitals etc. We need to have a serious paradigm shift in the manner with which we procure with. The private sector too need to consider procuring also from them. Emerging farmers desperately need access to markets,” said Gumede

 

Mayor Gumede added that the value chain in the agricultural sector remains untransformed and still benefits large established commercial farmers. This gap is continuously widening leading to inequality.

 

“This event is to recommit ourselves as the Municipality to advance the inclusion of eThekwini emerging farmers in the mainstream economy as part of advancing the agenda of Radical Economic Transformation (RET)” she said.

 

Members of the media are invited to the event scheduled as follows:

 

DATE : 03 April 2019

VENUE: Durban City Hall, Auditorium

TIME : 09h00

 

To RSVP please contact Sane Shandu on 072 572 8658 or email: sanelisiwe.shandu@durban.gov.za

 

For Media Enquiries contact Msawakhe Mayisela on 060 966 4220

 

ENDS

 

Issued by eThekwini Municipality Acting Head of Communications Unit, Mandla Nsele.

 

Please read this confidentiality disclaimer: https://www.durban.gov.za/Pages/edisclaimer.aspx