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GEORGE NEWS AND VIDEO - The Western Cape government is fully committed to agriculture and assisting farmers. This was the message from David Maynier, Western Cape minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, when he visited Mossel Bay and George on Friday 25 October.
Speaking to the George Herald at Groeneweide farm near George, he said he was visiting George and Mossel Bay to look at the opportunities and challenges in the area, as the towns form the powerhouse of the Garden Route.
He sees the reigning drought in a serious light. During his visit to Mossel Bay it was pointed out to him how dire the situation is. There have been reports in the media that in South Africa some farmers even considered suicide because of the drought, he said. "That is how serious the matter is."
Some of the farmers have been on the land for generations.
Dr Ivan Meyer, Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, recently made a submission regarding the situation that is being fast-tracked and provides for emergency funding for drought relief.
The Western Cape has approved R50-million for drought relief, which will be dispensed via the department of agriculture, amongst others, to farmers in the Garden Route area. An application for about R123-million has also been made to national government for further help. He stressed that the Western Cape government is committed to helping farmers.
"We have put our money where our mouths are."
It was not all doom and gloom though. Maynier said that, despite the drought and the contraction in agriculture, there are signs of recovery and diversifying, which he finds encouraging.
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