The Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform said moves are afoot to reduce quantities of meat imported into the province from other provinces.
The Department said it wanted to do this “by increasing investment into commercial livestock production to benefit black farmers to improve quality and quantities of meat to be purchased by hotels, retail shops, public institutions, caterers, restaurants, butcheries and abattoirs throughout the province.”
“Currently the majority of the province’s hotels, retail shops, public institutions, caterers, restaurants, butcheries purchase their meat from livestock farmers and abattoirs in the Western Cape, Free State and KwaZulu- Natal, despite the province having the highest livestock population in the country,” said MEC, Mlibo Qoboshiyane.
A meeting on Friday between Qoboshiyane, the provincial leadership of the African Farmer’s Association and National Emergent Red Meat Producer’s Organization, will discuss strategies to assist black farmers to benefit from commercial livestock trading to change the status quo.
“During the meeting MEC Qoboshiyane will unpack his department’s programme aimed at supporting black livestock producers to improve their commercial farming, which includes infrastructure investments related to livestock production,’ the Department said.
