Veggie import ban reaches moment of truth
Wednesday, February 15, 2023 | 2720 Views |
Route to market: Many farmers opt to sell their horticulture straight to the streets, as retailers impose prices and difficult conditions
Authorities at the Ministry of Agriculture are having a difficult time accepting the statistics they are seeing about the progress farmers have made since the ban on certain vegetables began last January.
According to the figures, the total number of horticultural farmers in the country have increased by 300 to 1,600 since the ban took effect in January 2022, while production has increased by 11,000 tonnes.
The rise in defilement and missing persons cases, particularly over the recent festive period, points not merely to a failure of policing, but to a profound and widespread societal crisis. Whilst the Police chief’s plea is rightly directed at parents, the root of this emergency runs deeper, demanding a collective response from every corner of our community. Marathe’s observations paint a picture of neglect with children left alone for...