The Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA) and commodity partners earlier this week renewed their Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) for another five years.

This enables commodity organisations to continue supporting new farmers with mentorship, advice, training, inputs, market access and mutual in-kind contributions, the WCDoA said in a media statement on Wednesday.

These commodity partners include SA Wines, the South African Table Grape Industry (SATI), Deciduous Fruit Producers Trust (DFPT), National Wool Growers Association (NWGA), South African Poultry Association (SAPA), South African Pork Producers Association, Red Meat Producers Association, Potatoes SA, Raisins SA, Grain South Africa, Berries SA, Citrus Growers Association, and Rooibos Producers Association.

Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, dr Ivan Meyer, emphasised the crucial role of agreements with these commodity partners, saying the department recognises them as key to addressing agriculture’s complex challenges.

“The department has developed and nurtured strategic partnerships over several years,” dr Meyer said. “These partnerships complement our work and enhance the impact of our service delivery initiatives.  One such initiative is the Commodity Approach, which has been an enormous success for over a decade.”

Dr Mogale Sebopetsa, Head of the WCDoA, these partnership with commodity organisations aims to promote capacity-building, mentorship, market access and resource mobilisation to support the commercialisation of new farmers in the Western Cape.

Dr Mogale Sebopetsa, Head of the WCDoA,dr Ivan Meyer, Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Mecia Petersen, CEO of the South African Table Grapes Industry, and Jannie Strydom, CEO of Agri Western Cape. (Source: Provided)

“The commodities also have the liberty to participate in the Commodity Project Allocation Committees (CPACs), which are crucial in the appraisal of farmer applications processed and oversight thereof, evaluating and overseeing farmer applications processed,” he said.

“With the commodity approach, the department can augment its resources by leveraging the industry’s expertise, financial resources, and other assets, thus improving our service delivery to farmers.”

Partners also acknowledged the value of the commodity approach in advancing the transformation agenda and supporting the producers’ progress towards commercialisation.

“This partnership has been around since 2009,” said Mariette Kotzé, Group Operations Manager at Hortgro. She said the impact has been immeasurable. It is all about making a difference and creating an enabling environment for Hortgro’s growers.

Mecia Petersen, CEO of the South African Table Grapes Industry, stressed the role of collaboration in unlocking value for the sector. SA Table Grapes Industry provides nearly 100 000 employment positions worth R3,78 billion per annum, but the sector has potential to unlock many more jobs, especially in partnership with a reliable partner such as the Western Cape Government.

“This is aptly demonstrated through the Western Cape Government’s role in improving operations at the Port of Cape Town and the formal commitment to support the agriculture sector, which the government takes very seriously”.

“The MoUs solidify our joint commitment to transform the agricultural sector, grow the economy and create jobs”, concluded Minister Meyer.