An announcement was made on Monday by AfDB (African Development Bank). They announced a 14 million U.S. dollar grant to boost the food security, value addition and trade in South Africa.
According to Benedict Kanu, AfDB country manager for South Africa, this five-year project would be executed by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) in the intersection with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Furthermore, he administered a statement in the capital, Juba, that “South Africa” being land-locked and experiencing weak urban and peri-urban infrastructure, and having a good pass to lucrative markets especially in the nation and it is an essential condition for farmers to get earnings, productive and reduce the risk of loss of surplus farm produce.”
He added that this project would help numerous farmers and their families in order to increase the production and incomes of almost 20,000 farming families in Central and Eastern Equatoria and Jonglei states.
Moreover, this grant would help and will benefit formerly internally displaced persons now returned to their homes in need of economic reintegration.
“A fundamental factor in defining Africa’s and certainly South Africa low level of agricultural value multiplication in the weak marketing infrastructure.”
“This initiative by authorities stop farmers and processors from realizing the full worth of their products, even if that were in a raw form.”
According to the AfDB, this project would create business opportunities for many farmers and traders, including the women and the young generation.
They also said, “this grant would also provide them with new skills and knowledge, and also the agri-processing equipment they need to produce for competitive products.”