Hon Speaker, when the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries paid out the villagers of Flagstaff in the Eastern Cape for their pigs that were culled due to swine flu in 2008, a group of women decided to turn that adversity into fortunes by investing their money and starting the Zithulele Piggery Co-operative.
Zithulele Piggery is run by five women who saw the potential of the pork industry for job creation opportunities in their area. They started their business with about 30 pigs, but that has now grown. They have managed to grow and sell their pigs to the local community and local butchers at prices ranging from R250 to R1 000 for each pig, depending on its size.
They now have big plans for the business, which include buying more pigs and supplying to bigger companies. According to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the South African pork industry contributed around 2,5% to the agricultural sector in 2012. The gross value of the production of pork is dependent on the quantity produced and the price received by farmers.
The ANC believes that the agricultural sector is key to development in any village and we encourage all villages to embark on this type of development to curb the unemployment rate, given the potential the area has for agriculture, forestry and tourism. The ANC encourages South African communities to grab these opportunities that have been presented by our democracy and start opening businesses to create their own jobs. I thank you. [Applause.]