Durban — KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Super Zuma says that all communities need to have a garden to ease the burden of escalating food prices.
Zuma was speaking in KwaDabhazi in KwaNongoma, northern KZN, expressing his concern about rising food prices.
He said: “The government is willing to work with communities to ensure that people who are solely dependent on farming save money and are able to buy other household needs. People can easily use produce from the garden to support their families and society.”
“The recent increase in food prices makes it difficult for our people to keep up with food security and sustain livelihoods,” Zuma said.
He also raised the issue of water scarcity, an ongoing challenge in the area, and as a result, the department had constructed dams and dug boreholes in the area.
Zuma said that these services would play a huge role in ensuring that there was enough water for human and animal consumption. It would also help residents to implement the “one home, one garden” initiative.
Moreover, Zuma placed an emphasis on challenges faced by livestock farmers in communal areas such as livestock theft, lack of infrastructure and high mortality rates owing to animal diseases and parasites.
“It is undisputed that animal health-care services provided by our department play a major role in ensuring that animals are given the optimum amount of care and treatment that is beneficial to their health at all times. This is why we are building and revitalising livestock infrastructure throughout the province,” Zuma said.
The department added that it intends to roll out the communal livestock improvement programme in all KZN districts through the use of the Yellow Plant equipment such as trucks, tractors, TLBs and excavators and provide continuous animal health-care support and services.
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