Another reason to prioritise the Eastern Cape for agricultural development is its good weather, specifically the Transkei region.
Today I drove across the region and it was green and lush. Here is a photo I took it the rural areas of Port St. Johns (see below or featured image). Folks in the area say they have been getting good rainfall since the production season started. Meanwhile, the northern parts of the country are dry, and farmers are struggling to commence with plantings.
Amongst many things required, improvement in infrastructure and ensuring that there is secure land tenure will be key to the development of successful agriculture in this area. Also, given the high unemployment rates in most parts of Transkei, I would argue that any agricultural production should be focused on horticulture products which are labour intensive and, most importantly, there is growing demand in the global markets.
I know I have left out a lot of important things here, I will a proper piece on Transkie’s agricultural activity after Christmas.
Follow me on Twitter (@WandileSihlobo). E-mail: wandile@agbiz.co.za
