In an effort to assist out of work fishermen who could no longer compete with big commercial fisheries, the DA-led Saldanha Bay municipality launched an urban garden on a vacant piece of municipal land in Langebaan.
As per an agreement with the municipality, a group of fishermen from Langebaan can now garden and farm as a way to provide for their families. The project was championed by a senior manager in Saldanha Bay municipality responsible for community development.
Council adopted an urban agricultural policy in 2017 to develop an integrated and holistic approach for the development of urban agriculture in the municpality. The policy also seeks to create an environment in which all roleplayers in the municipality can create real and sustainable opportunities for local economic development.
The municipality initially planned to establish four pilot projects across different wards in the municipality, but with the drought of 2017 and 2018, this could not be realised. The project currently aims to ensure the success of the urban garden in Langebaan and to have another one or two urban gardens in an additional six wards.
