SA farmers urged to expand plantations abroad

The South African Government has urged growers to expand operations into other countries in the continent, with a 'a vision of economic renaissance' taking hold amongst smallholder farmers, website Businessday.co.za reported.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson, said such an expansion would enhance food security and a pan-African railway development plan was underway to help improve the transport of goods.

Tina Joemat-Pettersson

"We are not saying that our farmers should relocate or move their business operations from SA to other countries; they should use SA as a base and then expand their business operations into the rest of Africa," Joemat-Pettersson was quoted as saying.

"There is a growing belief that Africa can produce enough not only to feed its own citizens, but to export a growing surplus to the rest of the world.

"Our government has tried to bring in this balance between land reform and food security and it’s a very tight balance — it’s like walking on a tightrope."

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