Gauteng Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa has unveiled a game changing Egg Aggregation Packhouse in the West Rand District Municipality.
According to the department, this is an important initiative designed to bolster the department’s market access programme, providing vital support to local farmers.
The department said yesterday: “The Egg Aggregation Packhouse is the product of a strategic partnership between the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the South African Poultry Association.
“This facility is designed to empower black egg producers by enabling them to aggregate their products, ensuring a steady supply of eggs to formal markets.
“The poultry sector is vital to South Africa’s agricultural landscape, contributing approximately R30 billion annually and employing over 100 000 people in Gauteng alone.
“This highlights the sector’s essential role in food security, economic stability, and job creation.“
Gauteng has nearly 16 million residents, with a key player in egg production and consumption accounting for 25% of the province’s total egg output.
“The Egg Aggregation Packhouse, operated by the Shumbaset Egg Packhouse Co-operative, boasts advanced technology capable of processing up to 72 000 eggs per hour, or 11.5 million eggs monthly. This facility will facilitate market access for at least 17 small to medium-sized egg farmers throughout Gauteng,” the department said.
As demand for high-value-added products rises, new opportunities emerge for smallholder producers, further driving economic growth in Gauteng.
With agricultural markets increasingly focused on food safety, traceability, and quality assurance, it is vital for smallholder farmers to adapt to these trends to remain competitive, the department said.
“Through initiatives like the Egg Aggregation Packhouse, we are dedicated to supporting smallholder farmers and SME agro-processors in accessing markets by aggregating produce and reducing infrastructure costs”.
Agriculture MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa said she was honoured to have been a part of such an initiative and looked forward to unveiling more projects of this nature as the department continued to address the sector's needs by helping small-scale farmers commercialise their operations and create sustainable job opportunities.
Ramokgopa said if Gauteng residents were to make it their single mission to ensure that these millions were able to be absorbed into the economy, create and work for sustainable livelihoods and participate meaningfully in the mainstream economy.
Ramokgopa said: “We are therefore unwavering in our vision to retain and reaffirm Gauteng’s position as South Africa and the African continent’s industrial giant.
“It’s no secret therefore that Gauteng is largely defined as an urban province and thus awhile our primary agriculture production may not contribute as much as other provinces, our strength and our competitive advantage lie in our ability to leverage our agri-industrial manufacturing capabilities, our technology, and skills base as well as our population size by creating market access platforms for primary producers in the province and from neighbouring provinces, all with the view to fulfilling our local and exports markets.”
Agro-processing, value creation and secondary production would enable the department to exponentially grow the agricultural sector, boost its share of exports, grow the economy and create sustainable jobs in the province.
“The demand for high-value-added products continues to grow which presents opportunities for smallholder producers and for the growth of the Gauteng economy,” Ramokgopa said.
“Agricultural and food product markets continue to change significantly and modern food value chains now place an emphasis on food safety, traceability and quality assurance.
“This is the reality that we are faced with and to which small holder producers must be able to adapt and comply if they are to have a fair chance of survival.”
The Star