Speaker, the ANC supports the clarion call made by President Zuma on Sunday, 6 November 2011, at the launch of the Masibambisane Rural Development Initiative in the Mkhondo Local Municipality. He urged emerging farmers in Piet Retief, Mpumalanga, to use their farms to create jobs and alleviate poverty.
The agricultural project initiated in the area will create jobs and alleviate poverty, preventing people from having to rely on social grants for a living when they have land to sustain this project.
The ANC-led government in the province committed itself to supporting Masibambisane farmers by buying food and vegetables for schools, hospitals and other government institutions that result from this project. We hope that, in future, large supermarkets will also come on board.
This project is in line with the ANC's resolution of implementing large- scale programmes to establish new smallholders, improve the productivity of existing small-scale and subsistence farmers, and integrate smallholders into formal value-chains and link them with the markets. I thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]