speeches
m
Message from Narend Singh, Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs for KwaZulu-Natal
Greetings,
In the two years since I assumed political responsibility for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture, I have come to believe that agriculture to be truly effective, like democracy, must be of the people, by the people, and for the people.
My Department and I uphold these sentiments, and have embraced them in our Xoshindlala "Chase Away Hunger" Campaign which addresses the need for food security and sustainable job creation in our Province. All agricultural and development projects that have a direct bearing on food security will be considered for possible inclusion in our Xoshindladla Campaign.
Since my appointment, my Department and I have supported various initiatives to empower disabled people, and have been privileged to make allocations to the horticultural projects at the Chatsworth and Merewent Cheshire Homes, and more recently to the S Das School, at Phoenix. So it is with great joy that we are able to fund this hydroponic tunnel scheme at the Stanger Training Centre. My Department will remain active in the project by providing advice and training, as required, on an ongoing basis.
I have been impressed by the extent of community involvement in the development of this hydroponic scheme; the Stanger Training Centre, the Ward Advisory Committee, and the staff of my Department. Thus it has been "of the people" and "by the people, " and it will be "for the people" in two very special ways. First that will be available to train children with a severe to moderate mental handicap to grow vegetables under protection and, in that way, to gain life skills and to progress towards self-sufficiency. Second that the structure will be available to train farmers who are interested in producing horticultural crops under protection.
I am pleased that the system has been designed to be environmentally sensitive, and that a two tier, gravel bed system was chosen since this will allow for the recycling of water. It will be important to minimize water usage, and thus to save water costs, since the School has access only to municipal water.
I wish the Stanger Training Centre Hydroponic Tunnel Project, and all those who will be trained in it, every success in their ventures to Chase Away Hunger.
[ CONTENTS ]