Pretoria - Small-scale farmers need to be encouraged to produce and drive economies in their respective communities, says Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson.
Speaking after receiving signed copies of Delivery Agreements for Outcomes Seven and Ten from her department's stakeholders in Pretoria on Monday, the minister said the industry had become central to job creation and the economic growth of the country.
"To drive this further, we need to encourage small-scale farmers to produce and drive economies in the areas they are working from.
"If we want to guarantee food security, we must encourage schools and communities to start vegetable gardens," said Joemat-Pettersson.
Discussions at the department's quarterly Service Delivery Forum centred on the small-scale fisheries policy, the need to combine efforts to increase productivity among farmers - including subsistence farmers, who Joemat-Pettersson credited as potential job creating agents - and the need to be more united.
Outcome seven is a commitment to establish "vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities, with food security for all".
The targets are ambitious and call for employment on commercial farms to increase from 780 000 to 800 000. Smallholder farmers will be increased from 200 000 to 500 000 in the first of three outputs.
On the other hand, outcome ten commits the minister to "environmental access and natural resources that are valued, protected and continually enhanced".
An important aspect of this outcome is the adaptation sector plans for agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
The purpose of the Service Delivery Forum is to invite participation in the activities that will contribute to achieving identified outputs.
Parties to the forum were invited to indicate their commitment to achieving the identified outputs, to indicate what they will contribute, and when.
