In addition to releasing 56 farms valued at R120 million to local small holder and subsistence farmers, the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality will soon release a Community Enterprise Development Fund to support the beneficiaries of these farms.
Ekurhuleni is the first municipality in the country to release massive land for agriculture use. It is aligned to its 10 Point Plan which places land at the apex.
Doctor Xhakaza MMC Finance and Economic Development said they are very excited about the programmes they are currently running in their term of the 6th administration.
“The 10 Point Plan is aimed stimulating economic development in order to grow the economy of the City and create sustainable jobs” he said.
Currently, agriculture only contributed 0.4% to the GDP of the city. Xhakaza said the aim was to revitalize manufacturing and implement the Aerotropolis masterplan.
All these efforts were intended to improve food security, increase tax and revenue base for the city, expand food export and to attract new investment into the city.
“We are looking for people who are already there, those who are already trying and we are to launch the fund in the near future” he said.
Fund will assist farmers to acquire production inputs, machinery, markets and any other support structure they deem necessary in order to be commercial.
