When the Eastern Cape Premier, Phumulo Masualle hosted a delegation from Argentina’s Córdoba province for trade talks, the rugby rivalry between South Africa’s Springboks and Argentina’s Los Pumas, the superiority of the Lionel Messi led Argentina football team over Bafana Bafana did not feature at all.

 

Instead, Masualle, his Economic Development MEC, Lubabalo Mabuyane, Rural Development and Agrarian Reform MEC, Xolile Nqatha performed like Messi on turbo-charge during the talks that saw the province attract billions of investment to grow the provincial economy from the South American nation.

 

After signing the joint declaration for bilateral Cooperation between the Eastern Cape and Argentina’s Cordoba province committing the two provinces to cooperate on agriculture, economy and mining development, Masualle said he was thrilled by the milestone calling it a major advance.

 

“We had interactions with them aimed at building bilateral relations to look at maximising the potential each one of us has. They are rich in agriculture industries. They increased maize production and we have taken interest in their no till approach given the reasonable cheaper costs than the methods we use.

 

We have been forging partnership with them and piloted work with good results in the OR Tambo district. We affirmed our commitment to rollout 40 000 hectares of land using their methods. We are looking at partnering their businesses with our local industries to benefit the province using their techniques,” said Masulle.

 

Córdoba’s Agriculture and Livestock Minister, Sergio Busso said his province was looking forward to working with the Eastern Cape.
“This province has a potential and we hope it becomes true and we think there is many things to be done here and we are happy to be part of the development of agriculture and industry of this province,” said Busso.

 

Nqatha said the agreement was a huge achievement requiring the province’s strategic agriculture revolution approach using the Argentine approach.

 

“As the department we need to design an approach as to how do we engage both private sectors, farmers and other role players to ensure that we put together a package of what then should constitute agriculture revolution in the province exploiting the province of Córdoba’s experience. That’s what we plan to do and this will occupy our priority for the next financial year in terms of placing agriculture as the backbone of agriculture revolution in the province,” said Nqatha.

 

He added: “We can’t change the picture of ownership patterns in agriculture, defeat poverty and unemployment unless agriculture is at the center and this agreement provides us an opportunity to do precisely that.”