R2bn to turn KwaZulu-Natal green in battle against hunger

Aim to revitalise agriculture — including household and small-scale growers — and set up food banks

20 August 2024 - 15:32 By MFUNDO MKHIZE
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Human Sciences Research Council professor in practice Thokozani Simelane says the Zululand and uMkhanyakude districts are worst affected when it comes to food security.
Human Sciences Research Council professor in practice Thokozani Simelane says the Zululand and uMkhanyakude districts are worst affected when it comes to food security.
Image: Mfundo Mkhize

KwaZulu-Natal will spend R2bn on “turning the province green” in a bid to address the critical issue of food security. 

The districts of Zululand and uMkhanyakude in northern KwaZulu-Natal are particularly badly affected, according to a Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) report presented to KwaZulu-Natal premier Thami Ntuli and agricultural affairs MEC Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa on Tuesday.

The meeting was a gathering of extension officers — middlemen between researchers and farmers — from the agricultural department and local government officials from the province’s 11 districts.

HSRC professor in practice Thokozani Simelane said: “We found Zululand and uMkhanyakude had the most severe cases when it came to food security. We need to understand that the district used to be largely part of a self-governing homeland. When the country switched to democracy, most people stopped producing their own food.”

He said that, when the two systems were merged, people believed they would be better off if they stopped growing their own crops.

Simelane said the data was collected during a survey of the nine provinces initiated in 2019 and completed in 2023.

“What we found is that the situation is dire and worsened by unemployment. As a result, there is a higher dependence on social grants to access food. People in rural and urban areas are now no longer engaging in agriculture,” said Simelane.

He said the report would provide guidance on what the province should do to revitalise agriculture.

“I am sure all the extension officers realise the need to improve the situation at the household level,” said Simelane.

“The study also looked at the nutritional status of households and children. Not all households had children, so we were very selective and got permission from parents and guardians to interview children.”

He said they discovered Limpopo was the most food-secure province, in contrast with KwaZulu-Natal.

“KwaZulu-Natal also experienced setbacks, such as the floods and the 2021 unrest. Households and small-scale farmers must be given the support they need for them to produce their own food.”

He said one of their main recommendations was for food banks to intervene to alleviate food insecurity.

“In one case, people had to travel all the way to town to buy a cabbage. The taxi cost up to R50 return, and thus it was not worth it.”

Ntuli said the government had identified the department of agriculture and rural development as a vehicle to assist in economic growth and enhance food security.

“We want to turn KwaZulu-Natal green and ensure the Dube TradePort is able to take products to other countries. We know we have some issues with the ports, but we are working on these so we can get this thing moving,” said Ntuli.

He said they had also identified municipalities as being at the centre of the plan, which is why they had roped in mayors and other local government officials to oversee the implementation of agricultural hubs.

Ntuli said they would launch an initiative to address food security issues in September.

“We want to see the fruits of what we have envisaged, with job security and opportunities as the end result,” said Ntuli.

“There should be consequence management when people are not delivering according to the standards,” he said.

TimesLIVE


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