Development: Agri MEC calls a spade a spade
Agriculture and rural development MEC Joy Matshoge spoke to Review about herself, and her vision for the department she recently took over.
POLOKWANE – Agriculture and rural development MEC Joy Matshoge spoke to Review about herself, and her vision for the department she recently took over.
Matshoge, who is the mother of three, and the grandmother of two, says plans for sustained food security in the province includes different programmes.
“As a department, we have various programmes,” she says.
“We are part of the Fetsa Tlala Integrated Food Security Programme, which assists substance and commercialised farmers on how best to farm their ground. We are also in partnership with the University of Limpopo where we provide nguni cattle to emerging farmers. There are two training colleges where students are trained on how to farm. We also plan to engage communities where we want to integrate young people, as they believe farming is for old people. We are also into creating sustainable jobs for the community.”
She says the department is in the process of ensuring all the extension officers in the province are equipped with laptops to ensure they are able to assist all the farmers at any given time.
“The laptops will assist mainly in areas of research to help the farmers to be up to speed with the agricultural developments in their respective areas of specialities,” says Matshoge.
On the issue of agricultural development as declared by the African Union, the department is already implementing mechanisms to ensure food production is at the centre of economic growth.
Through the Fetsa Tlala Integrated Food Security Programme and the recent launch of the seed harvest on Saturday, the department is prioritising the eradication of poverty, hunger and underdevelopment.
At one time, the department received a good financial audit, but it has regressed. According to Matshoge, all financial and human resources systems are now in place.
“I also ordered all my senior managers not to go on leave when the Auditor-General visits as he can ask them directly for answers and not have to make assumptions.”
Matshoge says she also has one-on-one meetings with all the senior managers in the department.
As for the problems concerning the existing vacancies in the department, Joy says there is a challenge with the budget. “If the budget goes up service deliverance goes down, therefore we would like to keep the budget low. We try to get a balance,” she says.
The department has a key priority area for immediate improvement and that is to make sure they drive hunger away.
“We want to make use of land that lays barren, speak to the traditional leaders who own the land to provide us with the land. We also want every household to have a vegetable garden, and we would like the food that is produced in the province to be processed here.”
The three biggest challenges facing the department, according to Matshoge, are the outbreak of diseases in cattle farming, climate change, and the lack of skills among farmers and the farm workers.
“A typical day for me is bright as I fully enjoy what I do. The first few months I was busy with administrative work, but as of the beginning of July I will be in the field, meeting with the community, which is what my passion is.”
Matshoge says she has a very good support system in the form of family. “My husband understands my working hours and the effort I have to put in.”
