by Olwetu Batyi | Oct 9, 2019 | atp1
As we prepare for the 5 year strategic plan, today I convened all the senior officials of the department and our entities to listen to what farmers want us to do. Our plan will not rely on desktop sterile information, but be based on the development challenges faced by our people.
We are the net importers of food, when we are blessed with agricultural resources i.e. land, livestock and passionate people. What must we do differently to improve productivity and competitiveness? We should not just list what we wish to happen, we must state what we are all going to do. Let us monitor both government and farmer performance. For both parties, where there is poor performance, there must be consequences. For government officials, discipline must be enacted and for farmers, you might be taken out of the programme. The limited government resources must be spent sparingly and strategically with discipline properly adhered to.
Things must change! And things will change!
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by Olwetu Batyi | Oct 9, 2019 | atp1
Session with ECRDA board and senior management of both DRDAR and ECRDA. We are in a process to revise the 5 year strategy in line with provincial priorities.
Key among issues for revision with regards to ECRDA will be:
– RED HUBs
– RURAL FINANCE
– MAGWA – MAJOLA
– FORESTRY
– LIVESTOCK commercialization
As announced in the policy speech, in October, we will host Rural Development and Investment Conference.
Kuvuthwa ezanyiswayo. Sikulonto kanye ngoku.
by Olwetu Batyi | Oct 9, 2019 | atp1
As we prepare for the review of the 5 year strategy, as the Rural Development and Agrarian Reform we have decided to “Keeps Ears To The Ground” and consult our stakeholders right across the province.
With this consultation with stakeholders, we intend to be able to identify and monitor trends, challenges and perceptions over time with specific groups of stakeholders. We specifically intend to:
❖ Identify and track needs and expectations
❖ Identify and track perceptions and attitudes
❖ Provide feedback on specific planned developments
❖ Evaluate implementations and actions
Stakeholder contribution is vital to the effective allocation of resources and success of development.
Alfred Nzo District
by Olwetu Batyi | Oct 9, 2019 | atp1
Our focus in Nelson Mandela Bay and Sarah Baartman.
We are crisscrossing the province to invite our stakeholders to raise issues that the department should focus on for the next five years.
We have set this department to Keeps its “Ears To The Ground”. We invite our people to talk to us! We are listening and we will act! This is your department! Let us all make it work!
by Olwetu Batyi | Oct 9, 2019 | atp1
In Joe Gqabi to Keep the departmental Ears To The Ground.
In the three districts covered, it has already come out succinctly clear that in this term as the MEC, without being limited to, I will have to drive the department to :
❖ Transform key institutions to promote agricultural growth and offer multiple economic opportunities especially for women, youth and disabled people;
❖ Increase in production of crops, livestock and all other related subsectors to enhance food self-sufficiency and to increase food security;
❖ Promote efficient utilisation of agricultural land;
❖ Expansion of irrigable land, focusing in the Eastern part of the Eastern Cape. This irrigation will focus on development of crops and livestock;
❖ Improve access to market for producers; and
❖ Add value and agro processing to agricultural products before reaching local and international markets
In this process, we are also meeting departmental employees with unions and the district senior management
