At the recent Remmoho Harvest Day in Bethlehem, Eastern Free State, livestock farmer Skhosana Mtambo emphasized the necessity for governmental support to address food security challenges. "We are extremely happy regarding what Remmoho has achieved. We are saying to the community members you cannot live without a farmer. You might have a smartphone but you cannot download food, you need a farmer to plant food. So whenever you see a farmer, please give that farmer a hug," he stated.
Mtambo encouraged young farmers to seek mentorship from figures like Remmoho chairperson Pitso Sekhoto to gain the necessary experience and expertise. Ratlale Masiu, a livestock and crop farmer from Senekal, advised young farmers to learn from Remmoho's achievements to advance to commercial farming levels.
Pitso Sekhoto, at the helm of Remmoho Investment in Agriculture, highlighted the importance of unity and planning among farmers to harness agricultural potential. "Yes we are celebrating the harvest, but there is more that can still be done by us. We have received money from government and its entities because of the determination that we have and we are calling on other farmers to tap into the government's support," he noted.
Free State Agriculture commercial manager Jack Armour urged prioritization of road infrastructure to connect farmers with markets, while Free State premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae committed to addressing road issues. "We will be dealing with the issues of roads. Our province has become a construction province, everywhere you go there is fixing of a road," she remarked.
Elsabé Rockman, Free State MEC of agriculture, emphasized the region's importance to food security and the government's efforts to revive projects. "We have spoken with the local municipality that all the abandoned projects would get priority and we will deal with them," she said.
Source: food for mzansi