THE annual AGRI 5 Expo drew over 3 500 farmers to East London’s Buffalo Club for its eleventh edition last week.
Under the theme “Access to Markets and Agro Processing” the two days of networking, exhibitions, informative workshops and dialogues were aimed at facilitating access to markets for Eastern Cape farmers on a national and international scale.
Local farmers were exposed to current forms and ways of farming to ensure farmers stay relevant and are able to do more with less.
“We really have achieved our theme this year, which speaks to using cost-effective machinery, which is scaled down to accommodate affordability for emerging farmers without compromising quality because using manual ways of farming only slows production down” event director Tsholo Mokob
e told the Express. He said their vision is to convert emerging farmers to commercial farmers.
However, the impact of stock theft, drought and the devastating veld fires that have recently wreaked havoc in some parts of the province have discouraged those in the agricultural sector causing loss and frustration but the event also afforded them the platform to express their struggles.
Present to give heed to the plight of Eastern Cape farmers was the deputy minister of agriculture Honourable Ms. Rosemary Nokuzola Capa alongside the MEC for the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, Nonceba Kontsiwe. They assured that the government will prioritise their dilemma.
Speaking about the importance of such an event, MEC Kontsiwe said “Expos are critical to highlight the latest technologies, equipment, and practices in agriculture, helping farmers and industry professionals to stay current with advancements.”
