AGRICULTURE HAS been identified as one of the most exciting investment opportunities in the province that are identified in the annual report of the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC). The opportunities include investments in tourism, agriculture, agro-industry, forestry and crafts, as well as the industrial development zones at Coega and East London. There is a particular focus on agriculture and adding value to the products that are grown. “The new potential, I think, is going to be in agro-processing food products, because it carries with it the potential of tapping into the former Transkei and some areas that up to now have been underdeveloped,” says ECDC chief executive officer Mcebisi Jonas. The report says the soils and diverse climate of the Eastern Cape – which contains all seven of South Africa’s biomes – make it “possible to grow almost anything”. While there are successes in a number of areas, the province has many thousands of hectares of under-utilised agricultural land. Conditions for livestock are also good, with the province being home to a third of South Africa’s sheep, cattle and ostriches. Natural grasslands cover 82 per cent of the province, which is free from foot and mouth disease. Agro-processing opportunities identified in the report include the processing of citrus and deciduous fruits, canning and the production of dairy products.