Fair Trade for emerging farmers
Candace Freeman
8 July 2004
Emerging farmers in three provinces - the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Free State - will have access to a multi-million Euro produce market following the signing of an agricultural trade agreement with the Netherlands on Friday.
The agreement was signed by the Northern and Eastern Cape departments of agriculture with Fair Trade Assistance in the Netherlands to secure European Union market access for emerging farmers.
Fair Trade Assistance (FTA) is part of the Fair Trade Organisation, that handles an assortment of 3 000 products purchased from craftsmen and farmers in Africa, Asia and Latin America for the Netherlands and Belgium markets.
The department of agriculture in the Western Cape, together with the SA Agric Academy, entered into a similar agreement last year.
The agreement was signed in Culemborg, Netherlands by a delegation from the three provinces.
"The three provinces will, with the assistance of FTA, have direct access to EU markets
for certain products", the departments said in a statement. "Through this historic agreement, FTA will allow the provinces to share in its €20-million turnover.
"With products such as wine, vinegar, pineapples, tea, dried fruit and various sauces, emerging farmers will become part of a chain of 80 suppliers, 25 countries, 2 500 products and 250 000 producers delivering to EU markets."
Source: BuaNews
