E Cape aims for African trade expansion through agriculture sector

Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane addresses the Agricultural Indaba in KuGompo.

Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane says the agricultural sector in the province is ready to trade within the African continent.

The premier addressed delegates at the province’s first Agricultural Indaba held in KuGompo.

Agriculture has been identified as one of the key drivers for economic growth, food security and rural development in the province.

Mabuyane says the indaba will bring innovation to tackle growth and sustainability in the sector.

“But also, we’ve got the market in Africa of more than R1.4 billion that we should be able to exploit. So, the African continental free trade area is meant to facilitate opportunities like those. So, we must exploit that so that we can grow our economy much better. As a province we do have enough land that we can use. Land is a factor of production. We should be able to exploit it better to able to help us to grow the economy.”