Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza, has met with agriculture and agro-processing stakeholders to assess progress on the drafting and consultations of the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan.
During a meeting attended by representatives of agriculture unions, Agribusiness, labour unions, and civil society, among others, Didiza noted that since the first meeting on the Master Plan on 26 June 2020, the stakeholder consultations have examined various agriculture and agro-processing sub-sectors, and how these can be expanded to contribute to economic growth, inclusiveness, and job creation.
“These efforts are part of the broader Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan the President announced late last year. The process is rigorous and evidence-based, led by the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), Bureau for Food and Agriculture Policy (BFAP) and Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED),” Didiza said.
She said the engagement on Monday was fruitful as it identified areas that require further negotiations among partners and action plans for implementation “as we approach the completion of the Master Plan”.
“We hope that social partners will continue supporting this important initiative and remain committed to implementing the Master Plan when we have completed drafting it," Didiza said.
The Minister also commended the partners for this milestone and said she looked forward to the social partners' next engagement. – SAnews.gov.za
