ECape's R30m poverty relief fund
Lucky Khumalo
5 October 2004
The Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture has set aside R30-million this financial year for the Siyazondla Homestead Food Production Programme to provide more than a million people in the province with garden "starter packs".
The project is aimed at supporting the production of nutritional food within rural and urban homestead gardens to meet the immediate needs of households while enhancing livelihoods and promoting economic activity.
The department said the objective was not to turn every rural person in the former homelands into a farmer, but rather to address food shortages at the household level while supporting household crop production where possible.
The budget provision per household is based on an allocation of R2 000. This includes a once-off amount of R1 400 for capital infrastructure inputs and a two-year period operating costs input of R600 that will be paid seasonally.
Programme facilitator Sipokazi Mntusano said five
district municipalities, Amatole, Alfred Nzo, Chris Hani, Ukhahlamba, and OR Tambo, would benefit this financial year.
She said presently about R5-million has been budgeted to benefit all the 2 157 eligible households in the five districts.
The eligible households should be capable of engaging in agricultural production.
The programme is part of the provincial government's Food Security Strategy adopted in July 2002.
The programme aims to achieve physical, social and economic access to safe and nutritious food for all South Africans.
The broad objective is to fight hunger, reduce poverty and build a culture of self-sustenance.
Source: BuaNews
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