Uniondale and Haarlem farmers to meet the mayor

GEORGE NEWS - George Mayor Leon van Wyk will be visiting farmers in the Uniondale and Haarlem area on 9 March. Agriculture is one of the key driving sectors and contributors to the local economy within George Municipality.

Deputy Director of Strategic Growth and Development Dr Kosie Haarhoff said the purpose of the visit is to primarily engage with small commercial farmers within the Uniondale/Haarlem area and to discuss services offered by the municipality, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDA), the National Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (NDARDLR) and other government departments.

Most farmers in the Haarlem area are smallholder farmers who either farm individually or in a cooperative and they need support and resources to sustain their businesses.

"The mayor will meet with the Uniondale Agricultural Union in the morning and visit farms in the Uniondale and Haarlem areas in the afternoon," said Haarhoff.

"Part of the visit is to evaluate progress made on projects supported by WCDA as per its strategic objectives and to interact with farmers on issues such as infrastructure, electricity, water, storage facilities and security.

"The mayor would furthermore assess the impact of financial and non-financial support given to farmers by the municipality, WCDA, and NDARDLR and how the support contributes towards job creation and the alleviation of poverty in the region.

"Finally, the visit will also seek to enhance co-operation and co-ordination between all spheres of government in developing and capacitating farmers in the district."

The delegation will consist of Mayor Leon van Wyk, Portfolio Chair for Finance and Economic Development Dirk Wessels, Haarhoff, Willem Burger (WCDA) and Phillip Hendricks (NDARDLR).

Part of the visit is to evaluate progress made on projects supported by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture.