Trade Deputy Minister hears emerging farmers' concerns
The red meat value chain has the potential to unlock employment and entrepreneurial opportunities, Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina told farmers at the Uthukela Beef Value Chain workshop, in Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal, earlier this week.
The workshop was held to assist emerging farmers to grow and participate in the value chain of the beef industry.
The value chain of the industry includes feedlots, abattoirs, meat processing and imports and exports.
“There is a huge market and job opportunities in the beef value chain that, if they are ignored, might slip through our fingers. We need to coordinate all resources that can uplift the emerging farmers and also identify markets for those who are ready to export to all countries that import red meat from South Africa,” said Gina.
Gina hoped there would be an ongoing national dialogue on innovation and exchange of new technologies for meat processing.
“We are all aware that the demand for beef products will more than double in the next 20 years, owing to the increase in urbanisation, economic growth and changes in consumption patterns in both the developed and developing countries.
“This means that beef producers need to gear themselves up for the opportunities by increasing investment both in production and processing activities,” she highlighted.
Farmers who participated in the workshop agreed that they needed intervention from government. For example, they cited that it would be helpful to be provided with research commissioned by government that the farmers did not have access to.
Issues of drought support, incentives and access to the market were also discussed during the workshop.
Gina urged all relevant government departments to come together and plan a way forward to unlock opportunities and deal with the hurdles faced by emerging beef farmers.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation