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This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
Remarks of Ambassador Harriet Babbitt, USAID Deputy Administrator
to the U.S.-South Africa Binational Commission Agriculture Committee Meeting
Cape Town, South Africa
February 16, 1999
- Thank you for inviting me, as the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, to participate in this Binational Commission meeting of the Agriculture Committee. It is an honor and a pleasure to be here today. The work of this committee – and of all the Commission meetings here this week – is significant for both South Africa and the United States.
- A bit later in the program, I’ll be a signatory to a Memorandum of Understanding that will provide $2.6 million in U.S. government funding for 15 activities which comprise an important part of the BNC Agriculture Committee program we will be discussing today.
- I am particularly pleased that we have been able to provide support to such a dedicated group as the Agriculture Committee. I am very much aware of all the hard work that has been done by the staffs of the Agriculture Departments of both South Africa and the United States. They have carefully analyzed the needs of the South Africa as a whole – and of the rural poor, in particular – and sought the best ways to address those needs.
- The U.S. government appreciates the central role of the South African Department of Agriculture in building your nation’s future. The Department’s efforts to increase the incomes and employment opportunities of the rural poor are vital to achieving a strong, sustainable South African economy in the 21st century -- and to preserving your country’s magnificent heritage of abundant natural resources.
- USAID supports the Agriculture Committee’s efforts to assist South Africa in the complex task of ensuring that those who have historically been disadvantaged are equitably treated in the agricultural sector of the economy. At the same time, South Africa must remain internationally competitive. USAID’s assistance will always be guided by South Africa’s priorities. Achieving these twin aims will require enhanced production, increased market access, the use of appropriate technologies, preserving the natural resource base, and increasing the productivity of small farm enterprises.
- In closing, I would like to commend Minister Hanekom, Secretary Glickman, and all the dedicated people of the Agriculture Committee on your vision in implementing this important development program. Your excellent work will benefit not only South Africa, but people throughout the region.
- South Africa’s efforts to strengthen its agricultural sector while increasing equity for its historically disadvantaged small farmers and the rural poor can serve as a model for meeting the needs and respecting the rights of all in a peaceful, prosperous Africa.
Thank you.
This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
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Last Updated on: July 12, 2001 |
