BHISHO – Eastern Cape Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane announced a R1 billion agricultural investment over three years during his State of the Province Address at the Eastern Cape Legislature today, identifying farming as key to the province’s economic growth and food security.
Mabuyane declared agriculture a “critical growth frontier” despite the province’s struggle to fully realise its farming potential in a region that remains a net food importer.
“For the next three years, our province will receive an allocation of R1 billion from National Government for the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme,” he announced. “This money will support farmers with equipment like tractors, planting seeds, fencing of farms.”
The agricultural drive is already showing results through the province’s partnership with the Land Bank to commercialise 100 farms. With R212 million invested in 2025 alone, the programme has benefited 18 grain farms across Alfred Nzo, OR Tambo, Joe Gqabi and Chris Hani districts, plus 11 livestock farmers in Chris Hani and Sarah Baartman districts.
Every day, we provide nutritious meals to 1.5 million learners through the School Nutrition Programme, and to 122,000 children in Early Childhood Development centres. This is one of our strongest defences against child poverty.
Currently, 36 supported black citrus farms have contributed 1,139 jobs to the provincial economy. “The resilience of this sector was demonstrated in how it bounced back from US tariffs, by exporting the largest consignment of 431,900 tonnes of fruit, earning R5.6 billion for our economy,” Mabuyane said.
Despite being South Africa’s second largest province with vast agricultural potential, the Eastern Cape remains a net food importer, he said. He explained that this has led government to approve an innovative Procurement of Agricultural Products model designed to localise R2.6 billion in food procurement spending.
“This will create more predictable demand for local producers and processors,” Mabuyane explained, outlining how the initiative aims to break the cycle of food dependency while creating sustainable markets for emerging farmers.
Mabuyane urged livestock farmers to comply with government measures designed to protect both the agricultural economy and their livestock following the ongoing Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak.
According to Statistics South Africa’s Poverty Trends Report of 2025, poverty in the Eastern Cape has decreased, with the percentage of people living below the food poverty line dropping from 36% in 2015 to 23% in 2023.
He credited this progress to government’s R35 billion annual investment in social security, which provides daily nutritious meals to 1.5 million learners through the School Nutrition Programme and 122,000 children in Early Childhood Development centres.
“Every day, we provide nutritious meals to 1.5 million learners through the School Nutrition Programme, and to 122,000 children in Early Childhood Development centres. This is one of our strongest defences against child poverty,” Mabuyane stated.
READ MORE HERE: Budget 2026: Tax relief for savers and increased social grants as government spends R2.67 trillion
