North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi has placed food security at the centre of the province’s policy agenda, unveiling an integrated package of agricultural support, livestock disease control, and anti-stock theft interventions during his State of the Province Address in Mahikeng on Thursday.
Delivering the annual address in the North West capital, Mokgosi outlined a strategy that links hunger alleviation, farmer support, and biosecurity measures, as the province grapples with a widespread outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and persistent stock theft in rural communities.
The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has confirmed 138 cases of FMD across 16 of the province’s 18 municipalities. Of these, 135 infections are in cattle, two in pigs, and one in a goat.
The hardest-hit municipalities include JB Marks and Ventersdorp, with 26 cases, Potchefstroom with 24, and Rustenburg with 16.
The premier said the outbreak has significantly affected the province’s livestock sector and required urgent, coordinated intervention to protect both emerging and commercial farmers.
“We have adopted a progressive control plan for the province and have now reached the stage of vaccination,” Mokgosi said.
He said a consignment of 100 000 vaccine doses was expected to arrive, with distribution earmarked to begin next week.
Mokgosi said the vaccination programme will prioritise traceability of vaccinated animals, guided by a risk assessment model developed in partnership with the national government and industry stakeholders.
Mokgosi said intensified disease control measures would include stricter biosecurity protocols, enhanced monitoring of animal movement, and support for affected producers to stabilise the livestock sector.
“The objective is to protect the provincial agricultural economy while ensuring that small-scale and emerging farmers are not pushed out of production,” he said.
The premier said financial support was needed for poverty alleviation and job creation initiatives in rural and farming communities.
“The province has allocated R50-million to improve red meat infrastructure, benefiting close to 2 000 emerging farmers.
“In addition, close to R250-million in conditional grants will be proportionally shared among women, youth, and persons with disabilities for infrastructure, production inputs, training, and capacity building.”
Furthermore, Mokgosi said engagements with Business Unity South Africa were at an advanced stage for the development of a chicken abattoir aimed at strengthening the poultry value chain and unlocking employment across the province.
He said grain storage capacity was also being expanded.
“The refurbishment of a 50 000-tonne grain storage facility at Springbok Pan is expected to be completed in the coming financial year.
“The facility will bolster storage capacity and enhance the province’s ability to respond to supply shocks, a critical component of long-term food security planning.”
Mokgosi said through the district development model, the province will implement targeted food security interventions across its four districts.
The Letsema grant was expected to support food production cooperatives and community institutions, while R17.9-million has been set aside to assist vulnerable households and promote sustainable production.
According to Mokgosi, many households have already been reached through provincial food security programmes.
“In pursuit of these objectives, we have equally reached over 10 000 households through our food security programme. So we are focused and we are dedicated to driving this programme to ensure that there is food security in this province,” he said.
Community-based nutrition interventions were also being expanded. He said nutrition and development centres have been established in Mareetsane and Disaneng in Ratlou and Moses Kotane, respectively, providing regular access to nutritious meals for residents facing food insecurity.
The premier said more than 50 000 people experiencing hunger have accessed services through these centres.
“This is a significant milestone in cushioning our distressed communities against poverty and hunger,” he said.
However, Mokgosi acknowledged that food security cannot be achieved without addressing criminality in rural areas, particularly stock theft, which continues to erode farmer confidence and undermine agricultural output.
“We have put systems in place to address challenges emanating from stock theft. These measures will include enhancing and monitoring the implementation of our national rural safety strategy.
The province has recorded a 5% reduction in stock theft cases, with more than 200 suspects arrested. Mokgosi attributed this to improved coordination between law enforcement and rural safety structures, but said more needed to be done.
Measures announced include strengthening implementation of the National Rural Safety Strategy, resuscitating provincial stock theft forums and information centres, and increasing police visibility in hotspot areas.
“We will ensure that all stock theft-related issues are reported and that perpetrators are arrested,” Mokgosi said, adding that the law enforcement footprint would be expanded to deter future incidents.
