By WARDA MEYER
The World Trade Centre and Agri Mega Group
have forged ties to address the agricultural challenges of Africa and to
position the continent to become the food hub of the world.
The two groups took their first steps towards
realising their ambitions last week when the Agri Mega Group (AMG) and World
Trade Centre (WTC) signed a memorandum of agreement in Cape Town.
Their venture soon will see Africa boasting
its own Agriculture Expo, which promises to attract the interest of major
roleplayers along the entire agriculture value chain.
Agri World Africa (AWA) aims to showcase
agricultural products, promote trade and commerce between African countries and
internationally, put African agriculture on a sound path of growth and
development, develop and grow economies with the focus on enhanced agricultural
activities, and facilitate sustainable food production on the continent.
Agriculture MEC Gerrit van Rensburg said he
was very excited about the partnership and the potential it held for
agricultural development on the continent, from Cape Town to the Sahara.
“One partner hosts an extensive African
footprint, together with a vast business network, while the other partner is an
expert in agricultural services.
“I believe this partnership holds the
potential to transform the agricultural investment landscape on this
continent,” he said, adding that he was “proud that this partnership is being
forged right here”.
Van Rensburg cited two very important
challenges facing SA – unemployment and restructuring agriculture.
“More than 50 percent of South Africans
between the ages of 18 and 25 are unemployed. It is estimated that 73 percent
of unemployed people in South Africa are younger than 35 years of age.
“This is a social time bomb.”
Further, he said, SA had to restructure
agriculture and land ownership in a peaceful way.
“This is also a time bomb. We need to do this
without compromising our future food security status.”
Only once these to issues had been resolved,
would SA and rest of Africa prosper.
Van Rensburg said his department estimated
that a 5 percent increase in agricultural exports would translate into 23 000
jobs.
The MEC added that World Trade Centre
estimates were that a 1 percent increase in trade with the African continent
would generate $17 billion.
“This is three times the amount the continent
receives in foreign aid, and 16 percent more than is needed to alleviate poverty
on the continent.”
World Trade Centre chief executive Julius
Steyn said they were very excited about the business opportunity.
One of the main reasons for the venture was
the fact that less than 20 percent of Africa’s arable agricultural land was developed.
“Africa has the capability not only of
feeding itself, and being less reliant on importation, but also the ability to
feed the world.
“We are anticipating that with this project,
we have at least 10 African countries participating in next year’s expo, but we
are actually aiming to have between 20 and 30 African countries that will
participate in this venture,” he said.
According to Steyn, teaming up with Agri Mega
and strategic partners across Africa meant they could achieve the objective of
developing a food security programme not only for SA, but for the rest of the
continent and the world.
He added that Agri World Africa would give
the continent access to world markets not ordinarily accessible to agricultural
producers.
“Furthermore, this joint venture with the
Agri Mega Group will support and co-operate with the existing pool of
agriculture experts who currently play pivotal roles throughout the African
continent,” Steyn said.
Orton King, group executive director of the
Agri Mega Group, said his team was committed to changing the common perception
that Africa was a place of poverty and hunger.
“I think it is time to start thinking of
Africa as a continent with lots of potential and capacity to feed the world
with agricultural products.”
warda.meyer@inl.co.za
Original Article Here
No comments:
Post a Comment