Newly appointed agricultural minister of the Western Cape, Ivan Meyer, identified the agricultural sector as a key growth engine when he addressed the Hortgro Technical Symposium in Somerset West this week.
“We need to provide structured support to farmers, make rural safety a reality and create further access to markets for agricultural products.”
According to Meyer, agriculture earns R21 billion for the Western Cape and 17% of the province’s workforce is in agriculture.
“Agriculture is the backbone of this province.”
In addition, Meyer pointed out that opportunities lay ahead for the sector.
“Don’t waste a good crisis,” he said, referring to the opportunities amidst the US-China trade war and Brexit tension.
