Durban - If KwaZulu-Natal farmers were unable to properly use farms returned to communities through the land reform process, the province could find itself on the brink of food insecurity.
This was the warning from Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Cyril Xaba in Durban yesterday, speaking to members of the Communal Property Association and Community Trust at a summit aimed at revitalising agriculture on land reform farms.
Xaba said it was sad that communities living on these farms relied heavily on social grants.
“The only saviour we have right now is the programme of social grants that is able to put food on the table in many households.
“This has severely compromised the nutritional content, as these grants are not enough to secure healthy food,” said Xaba.
Since the establishment of the land reform programme in 1998, KZN has invested more than R7 billion towards restoring land to farming communities that had been removed from their land as a result of the 1913 Land Act.
Following the establishment of the Land Reform programme, some farming land which was previously productive “was now occupied by the concrete jungle of cities”.
He revealed that a further 700 000 hectares were to be distributed among farmers.
The provincial Agricultural Department had set aside more than R666 million to support emerging farmers in the next year.
The Mercury