The South African President Jacob Zuma has said that some 12 million households in South
Africa are
vulnerable to food insecurity and may go hungry.
President Zuma
made this disclosure in his annual
address to the National Council of Provinces in Soshanguve, Pretori, monitored
by NaijaAgroNet and assured
that in line with the country's the National Development Plan (NDP), the government
will take a number of steps to improve food security.
“These steps include the expanded use of irrigation, security
of land tenure, especially for women and youths, and the promotion of nutrition
education,’’ Zuma said.
The NDP, which is the country’s economic blueprint, has set
out various methods and targets to get rid of poverty, reduce unemployment and abolish
inequality by 2030, while the government
launched the Fetsa Tlala food production programme to eradicate hunger and promote food security.
launched the Fetsa Tlala food production programme to eradicate hunger and promote food security.
The
government has also provided two billion rand
(about N31 billion) for this financial year for farmer support programmes while
72 per cent of it will be used for food production to support Fetsa Tlala.
Under this arrangement, NaijaAgroNet noted that about
100,000 hectares of land will be put into production through the programme to
be supervised by the departments of agriculture in the provinces.
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Pix:South African President Jacob Zuma