Shortfall for feeding scheme

Increased food prices remain a concern for provincial education department

FOOD prices, which have soared as a result of the drought, has resulted in a budget shortfall of almost R10million for the school nutrition programme in the Western Cape. Last month, the Cape Argus reported that the drought had become a huge concern for the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), while the Department of Basic Education has indicated that the menus for the programme were being reviewed.

Yesterday, Jessica Shelver, spokeswoman for Education MEC Debbie Schäfer, said the allocated budget for the programme for the 2015/16 financial year had been about R299m, but the increase in the price of food items such as maize had resulted in shortfall of about R9.7m. The province has had to cover this shortfall. Shelver said it was feared that the shortfall could be bigger in the current financial year as food prices remained a concern.

Schäfer raised concern about the increase and the impact thereof at a meeting of the Council of Education Ministers.

Shelver said Schäfer had also discussed the matter with her colleagues in the provincial cabinet.

The WCED has also indicated that it may, as a last resort, have to reduce the portion sizes of meals for pupils if it had no other choice. Collaborating with the private sector was one of the options that would be explored.

In the Western Cape, 473770 pupils from 1015 schools receive two meals (breakfast and lunch) on school days.

The programme has expanded annually with allocations having more than doubled since the 2009/10 financial year.

There are five menus for each day of the week. The menus, which were designed by dieticians, typically include rice, samp, soya mince, a protein, fruit, vegetables, bread, jam, peanut butter and cereals.

Shelver said the department encouraged schools to create food gardens such as the one Schäfer visited at Cavalleria Primary THURSDAY APRIL 28 2016 School in Scottsdene, Kraaifontein this week. “The food gardens supplements the feeding scheme and, as a result, is able to feed 600 learners at the school two meals a day.”

Last month, the Cape Argus reported that consumers could expect to pay more for food this year as inflation was at its highest level in almost seven years.

The National Agricultural Marketing Council, which monitors food prices at retail level, said it was “scary” that the poor were already spending 53 percent of their disposable income on food.