Gauteng sets up agri-business hubs

The Gauteng government
has earmarked the west
and south corridors as agri
processing hubs for the
province.
According to Loyiso
Mkwana, a deputy director
general in
Gauteng’s
Department
of
Agriculture,
the province
has been
divided into
five corridors
with agri
processing
playing key
roles in the
West Rand
and in the
southern
parts of
Gauteng.
“Our goal is to turn
these two regions into hubs
for agri business and we
will invest heavily in agri
processing industries here.
The goal is to unlock the
potential of agriculture
in Gauteng because even
though more than half
of the country’s agri
processing happens in the
province we have yet to
unlock the full potential
this industry holds.”
He said the West Rand
– an area
that had
seen major
economic
decline
thanks to the
ailing mining
industry –
had already
received a
R20-million
boost when
an agri-park
was opened in
November.
Comprising
a packaging
house and
training room as well
as hydroponics tunnel
infrastructure‚ borehole
water sources and other
key features, the park
gives smallholder farmers
the opportunity to store
their produce in modern
facilities, while also being
able to aggregate and
grade their produce for the
market.
“This facility truly
provides smaller farmers
with the ability to tap into
commercial markets like
the bigger players in the
sector. It will allow us to
integrate them with the
mainstream commercial
farming industry, ultimately
increasing our output and
allowing us to grow the agri
processing sector and our
agri exports.”
Mkwana said embedded
in this infrastructure
programme was
unlocking the economic
potential of the West
Rand and Sedibeng
as the Agrotropolis of
Gauteng. “This will see
a conglomeration of agri
activities around the
area, ultimately creating
a synergy that will
see us grow the sector
significantly.”
A total of four other agriparks
have already been
established in Gauteng,
one being in Carletonville.
The other three are in
Sebokeng, Pretoria and
Eikenhof.
The MEC further said
that he wanted to promote
investment in catalytic
infrastructure across the
five development corridors
and stimulate economic
growth.
The plan is to create an
economically transformed‚
modern‚ innovation-driven
agricultural sector‚ with
sustainable environmental
management for healthy‚
food secure‚ developed
rural and urban
communities in Gauteng.
Mkwana said
investments were also
being made into a milling
plant in Randfontein on the
West Rand while a milling
facility had already been
established in Cullinan.
These investments, he
said, along with the agriparks,
all formed part of
a broader strategy of the
Gauteng government to
change the character of the
agricultural economy in the
province.
INSERT
West Rand agri-park
provides smaller
farmers with the
ability to tap into
commercial markets
like the bigger
players in the sector.
– Loyiso Mkwana