The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Farmers Support Group (FSG) will host the annual Msinga Food and Nutrition Fair in Nhlesi (Mkhuphula), Msinga, KZN from 10h00 – 13h00 on Wednesday, 20 July 2016.

The event will showcase the improvements achieved by around 400 household farmers from Msinga and Bergville in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The aim is to encourage farmers to reflect on their accomplishments and to exchange ideas on sustainable farming practice.

The theme for this year’s nutrition fair, “From Seed to Plate” highlights the importance of household food production, a journey starting with planting a seed and caring for it until it reaches maturity. The theme expands on farmers’ indigenous knowledge on seed saving combined with technical knowledge acquired through training on seedling production, i.e. how growing food from seed saves money and increases self-reliance.

The programme will include:

• A demonstration of the rural farmers version of a flood irrigation system.
• A walkabout of the some of the communal gardens belonging to rural farmers
• Presentations by farmers, FSG staff and government stakeholders,
• A display of the agricultural and non-agricultural products prepared by farmers and

• A lunch of indigenous food prepared by some of the farmers.

FSG has been reaching out to the rural community of Msinga with a focus on improving the lives of local household farmers for almost a decade; in this time FSG has trained and educated hundreds of farmers and community members, equipping them with the skills to become more resourceful, self-reliant and business savvy farmers. FSG also builds awareness among local farmers on food security matters and the best ways to thrive in spite of challenging climate conditions.

Kindly RSVP to desaisej@ukzn.ac.za to attend.

Kindly indicate if you require transport to Msinga. Arrangements can be made on request.

About Farmer Support Group:

Farmer Support Group (FSG) is a community development, outreach and research centre within the School of Agricultural Earth and Environmental Sciences (SAEES) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg. FSG works with target communities in KwaZulu-Natal to identify development challenges and implement the initiatives to address the challenges to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Emphasis is placed on constraints encountered in agriculture, especially for food production and access to markets. Other focus areas are gender, the cross cutting issue of HIV/AIDS and access to agricultural production resources.

FSG first established a farmer-led Nutrition Fair in Msinga in 2011 as a way of encouraging the farmers to learn and reflect on their accomplishments on an annual basis. The fair brings farmers together to share and exchange ideas, to display and market their produce, and to link with relevant stakeholders.

The invitation:

Invitation Nutrition Fair 20Jul16