Eastern Cape should take up opportunities in agriculture

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"It is important for everyone to note that the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) is there to create an enabling environment for all our aspirant entrepreneurs. Our mandate as defined in government's National Development Plan is to ensure that we help South Africa industrialise, and that we stimulate activity in the agro-processing sector by helping create agro-parks and Industrial Development Zones," he said on Friday, 25 September.

Speaking at a business and agricultural seminar in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, the deputy minister said the province tops the country's ratings in livestock and wool production.

"We must ensure that we explore advantages around these strengths and create value-goods that will help us move South Africa forward. By achieving this, we will have achieved the goal of making sure that our citizens especially those in rural areas are included in the mainstream economy," added Masina.

The mayor for King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality, Nonkoliso Ngqongwa, added that four red hubs in the agricultural sector have been earmarked for the Eastern Cape province.

"It gives me great pleasure to announce that one of those hubs will be right here in the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality. This hub will go a long way into ensuring that we arrest the flight of skills to major provinces like Gauteng and the Western Cape and it will also stimulate the production capabilities of our province," said Ngqongwa.

The seminar was hosted by the Sakhi Isizwe Youth Development Agency (SIYDA) in partnership with the King Sabatha Dalindyebo Municipality, where government departments, professionals, municipalities, youth organisations and institutions of higher learning were brought together to share knowledge with youth on different business opportunities within the farming and agricultural sector.