​​The City of Johannesburg’s Food Resilience Unit hosted a farmers market at Diepkloof Comprehensive Welfare Centre on Friday, 28 October 2022. The farmers market forms part of the City’s broader strategy to empower emerging farmers to become commercially viable and play a part in the multi-billion fresh produce industry.

Although Joburg is predominantly an urban and industrialised city, the municipality has been assisting emerging urban farmers with business plans, submission of annual reports to the registrar of co-operatives, designing record keeping system for sales and expenses.

Cooperatives are further assisted with productions inputs such as seeds, tractor services, training, tools and access to market through market days.

On the day farmers were able to sell their produce directly to the community. Produce such as organic spinach, onions, carrots, beans, herbs and honey where available for purchase.

Jabu Hlongwane, who was at the farmers’ market to buy fresh produce, said: “This type of initiative is very important. These farmers are bringing fresh vegetables at an affordable price straight to the community.”

Written by Ayanda Radebe

31/10/2022