Agriculture in the Western Cape needs a long-term plan to keep the sector sustainable. So said Dr Ivan Meyer, Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, at a discussion that Agri Western Cape convened with financial institutions and agribusinesses on Wednesday 20 November. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the risks with regards to the ongoing drought in the province, and to seek a functional model for managing the drought.
Mr. Jannie Strydom, Chief Executive Officer of Agri Western Cape, said with the drought in certain parts of the province now being in its fifth year and with humanitarian help to drought-stricken farming communities that has now become critical, all role players need to work together to manage the economic realities of the drought.
“We have to start thinking differently about disasters such as drought in order to manage the negative domino effect thereof proactively. The contribution of agriculture to the Western Cape economy is too important not to have a sustainable sector. A joint management strategy between all role players has become critically important to deal with the current circumstances in the province,” he said.
During the discussion, Minister Meyer also undertook to allocate funds for a long-term study regarding the influence of climate change on agriculture in the Western Cape. “This is not merely a drought, it is a national climatic disaster,” he said.
For more information: 
Jeanne Boshoff
Agri Western Cape
Tel: +27 (0) 71 170 3744
Email: jeanne@awk.co.za
www.growinggreatness.co.za