12m South African households may go hungry- President Zuma

NaijaAgroNet:

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.

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.

AN/EDop

 NaijaAgroNet... Linking agrobiz, people & technology
Pix:South African President Jacob Zuma