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Marine resources central in economy

Agriculture Minister Senzeni Zokwana

Agriculture Minister Senzeni Zokwana

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Operation Phakisa is expected to place marine resources central in the economy, says Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister, Senzeni Zokwana.

Operation Phakisa is aimed at fast-tracking the delivery of the priorities outlined in the National Development Plan (NDP), which is the country’s blueprint for eliminating poverty and reducing inequality.

Delivering the department’s Budget Vote at the National Council of Provinces, in Cape Town, on Friday, the minister said the fisheries sector forms an important element of the Ocean Economy Strategy, Operation Phakisa.

“Under Operation Phakisa we plan to grow the aquaculture sector value from two billion rand to up to six billion rand, with a potential job creation of up to 210 000 by 2030,” he said.

Minister Zokwana said transformation of the fisheries sector remains a critical element in addressing job creation and radical economic transformation. 

“The fishing rights allocation process (FRAP) of 2013 has been reviewed independently of the Department and I have received the final report.

“I am consulting with the State Attorney’s office on the legal feasibility of the various options to institute corrective measures where weaknesses have been identified. I will make an announcement in due course on the path to correct these anomalies,” he said.

The implementation of the small scale fishing policy will be the second element of transformation to ensure that coastal and fishing communities gain access to marine resources.

Food security
The minister further said achieving food security for all citizens is a non-negotiable priority.

He said he was pleased with the decrease in the number of households experiencing hunger, as shown by the 2013 General Household Survey.

“The percentage of households that experienced hunger decreased by 16% between 2002 and 2013,” he said.

However, the minister said as long as the achievements indicated on the General Household Survey are mainly attributed to social grants, he said government must strive for the agricultural food economy to increasingly contribute to decreasing levels of food insecurity.

Provincial departments such as the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform was able to increase the number of hectares planted from 7 000 in 2012, to 13 000 hectares, last year.

The Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development in turn planted a total of 1 000 hectares of crop land which yielded 9 300 tons of maize, wheat, grapes and rooibos tea.

In Gauteng, through Ilima/Letsema fund 25 000 beneficiaries were reached.

In the Free State, Mohoma Mabung supported 6 500 beneficiaries, while Mpumalanga’s Masibuyele Emasimini reached 39 600 beneficiaries.

“Unless these achievements contribute to sustainable rural economies, our interventions are unsustainable and bear little impact if any on the lives of our people.

“Our interventions must therefore lead to the growth of the sector, and in turn to rural economic development,” he said.

Agriculture’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is approximately 2.7 percent, which is generally viewed as far below the capacity of the sector and the levels of agricultural production aimed to be achieved by 2030

Edited by SANews, SA government news service

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