DTI hosts agro-processing workshop

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) hosted the Agro-Processing Support Scheme workshop at the Pelican Hall at the ZCBF on Thursday.

In partnership with the Zululand Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZCCI), the DTI brought together local businesses within this region to create awareness around the Agro-Processing Scheme.

Those who attended the workshop were taken through a presentation on the scheme’s objectives, qualifying processes, eligibility criteria, qualifying costs and mandatory conditions.

The scheme aims to stimulate investment in the sector which has been identified by the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP), the New Growth Path and the National Development Plan for its potential to create employment, competitiveness and enhanced transformation.

Agro-processing industry is defined as a ‘subset of manufacturing that processes raw materials and intermediate products derived from the agricultural sector. Agro-processing thus means transforming products that originate from agriculture, forestry and fisheries’.

This includes food and beverages, furniture manufacturing, fibre processing, feed production and fertilizer production.

In May this year, DTI Minister Rob Davies announced that R1-billion had been set aside to fund a sector-specific incentive for the agro-processing sector in this financial year.

‘The incentive will support both brown and greenfield investments, encourage investment in up– and downstream support services, and for the expansion of infrastructure to be used by farmers and agro-processors,’ Minister Davies said.

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