"Government should support farmers because they feed the nation and create job opportunities for those who were formally unemployed," said the mayor of Musina, Cllr Mihloti Muhlope.
She added that a government that did not support its farmers was deemed to fail and its people would starve, thereby impacting negatively on service delivery, economic and community development.
She was talking to emerging farmers at Musina Campbell. The visit was aimed at monitoring progress, identifying challenges and developing strategies on how the municipality can help them grow.
Muhlope said farming was the backbone of the economy because farmers played a major role in growing the economy of any country. "We are all healthy and working for our communities because farmers have provided us with food. If there is no food, we cannot survive, and we should thank farmers because they are working hard to feed the nation."
She said Musina was preparing to become a city soon and thousands of people would relocate there. "We are expecting a huge influx to our town and those people will need food. Imagine what will happen if our local farmers are not ready for the influx. Besides that, Musina has been declared a provincial growth point and a Special Economic Zone. All these huge developments should be supported by our farmers in terms of food provision. We will all agree that farmers play a very important role in developing the nation."
Khathutshelo Mudau and Engelinah Matshete are co-owners of Mangalis Farm. They were so happy to receive the mayor at their farm. "It is so encouraging when our leaders visit us to monitor our progress. It gives us courage to work hard because we know that we have full support from our local government. Now that the mayor is here, we are hopeful that our challenges, including the need for constant water supply, will be addressed," said Mudau.