The government will support all the farmers," said the MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Basikop Makamu during the official opened for the Nwanedi Packhouse two weeks ago.
Makamu said that the pack house opens doors to economic growth for emerging farmers in the area. He said that the state-of-the-art Nwanedi Packhouse started operating in 2014 after the South African host World Food Day. According to him, a feasibility study then pointed out that an intervention at the pack house is necessary, because crops from Nwanedi farmers were marketed in different places.
He emphasised the importance of the development of farming and said it is commendable that many local farmers are excelling in farming. "For that reason, the government will assist our farming community", he said.
Makamu urged farmers "to go all out to make a meaningful contribution in their communities."
He stated that government's aim was to assist in establishing sound management and marketing channels for their products to local and international markets. "Central to this management is the training of community members to become farm managers, pack house managers, supervisors and specialist general workers", said Makamu.
Makamu said that he was discouraged the find in one farmers' meeting that only elderly people are participating in agriculture. "I am impressed and happy about the role played by local farmers in the agricultural sector in our province is the way of encouraging local farmers to participate in farming," he said.
Mr Michael Makoale of Nwanedi Secondary Cooperative said it is his organisation's aim to take up the challenge to start agricultural developing projects throughout the country. They mostly targeted the emerging commercial farmers, especially from the historically disadvantaged areas, he added.