The Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development hosted the two-day Revitalization of Agriculture, Agro-processing and Value Chain (RAAVC) summit on 29-30 November 2023 in the Waterberg District Municipality, Limpopo. The summit was aligned with the Agriculture and Agroprocessing Master Plan (AAMP) and the theme of the event was “The Vital Role of Agriculture in Driving Economic Growth: Encouraging Inclusivity and Participation in the Entire Value Chain.”

On Wednesday, 29 November 2023, Dr. Konanani Lephatsi, programme director, welcomed all the attendees, which was subsequently followed by a keynote address by MEC for Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (LDARD), Honourable Thabo Mokone, Dr. Simphiwe Ngqangweni, Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), gave an update about the progress made in relation to the implementation of the AAMP – a National Plan for Growing Inclusive Agriculture.

There was also a panel discussion in wherein members of the panel and attendees interacted around role of agriculture in driving economic growth and encouraging inclusivity and participation in the entire value chain.

Furthermore, presentations covering the subjects of sustainable business development for RAAVC and land reform projects, and oversight of RAAVC/AAMP were also delivered during the summit. The AAMP project and update were well-received by the Limpopo Province, which presented an opportunity to unpack the project and explain the AAMP pillars to the stakeholders.