BY KWANELE TSABEDZE
SIDVOKODVO – Actions speak louder than words.
This age-old adage fully applies to the newly sworn-in Minister of Agriculture, Mandla Tshawuke, who’s first order of business after being sworn in was to attend to the Woman Farmer Foundation’s Woman Farmer of the Year Competition awards ceremony.
Tshawuke presented 20 women farmers with farming inputs worth over E400,000 at the awards ceremony held at Riders Ranch at Sidvokodvo yesterday. The Minister received high praise from speakers at the event, including Manzini Regional Administrator Chief Gija, as well the Woman Farmer Foundation Director Sonia Paiva, and Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Sydney Simelane.
“I am very proud to have you as my Minister for the next five years, and more if God permits. The Ministry of Agriculture is the most exciting where there are capable partners to work with, including the Woman Farmer Foundation,” noted WFF Director Sonia Paiva.
Manzini RA Chief Gija echoed these sentiments, citing that it was motivating to see the Minister attend the event only a few days after his inauguration, as it showed that he indeed puts the farmers on the ground first.
“I hope you can appreciate that the Ministry recognises your importance, as the Minister decided that his first order of business was to come to the Woman Farmer of the Year Competition,” said the PS Sydney Simelane, echoing the WFF Director’s words.
The woman farmers also took turns to thank the Minister for actually showing up for them, and they also took the opportunity to make suggestions to the Minister on what they hope he will incorporate in the Ministry’s strategy and programmes.
The Minister of Agriculture acknowledged the submissions made to him, and promised he will continue to seek out the opinions and ideas of farmers on the ground to inform the strategies of the Ministry.
“I was listening to the top 10 contestants speak, and I promise that we will look into the issues raised here today,” said the Minister on behalf of his Ministry.
“I was concerned by the fact that most of the youth we heard here today said that they came into Agriculture because they had nowhere else to go. This tells me that we need to get youth interested in Agriculture from day 1,” added the Minister.
The Minister went on to promise the stakeholders and hundreds of women farmers who were present that the Ministry will certainly heed His Majesty’s call to ensure that the country is food secure, citing that he will rely on input from the farmers to create the most enabling environment for farmers and value addition operations in the country.
Also supporting the Minister of Agriculture at the Woman Farmer of the Year Awards were Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi, as well as the Minister of Urban Housing and Development Apollo Maphalala, among other members of Parliament and senators.
