Agenda 2063 and Malabo Declarations; Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme: NEPAD briefing; with Deputy Minister

Meeting report

New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) on the key issues for Agriculture on Agenda 2063 and the Malabo Declaration, and the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme
Mr Martin Bwalya, Senior Advisor to the CEO, of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) presented the brief.

Agenda 2063 has 20 goals that are divided into four sub areas: Industrialisation and Wealth Creation, Shared Prosperity and Transformed Livelihoods, Human Capital Development and Transformed Institutions, and Natural Resources Management and Environment Resilience. These four categories work together for Africa to create wealth from its own resources. Some of the key issues for Agenda 2063 are that Africa has around 600 million acres of uncultivated arable land, there are 39 million hectares of land suitable for irrigation but only 7% is irrigated, and Africa is still importing over R25 billion in food. Agricultural growth tends to reduce poverty more than non-agricultural sectors.

The Malabo commitment to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) has five areas of impact that are expected to be achieved through five different implementations. The Declaration has seven overarching targets which include recommitment to the principles and values of the CAADP process, recommitment to enhance investment finance in agriculture, commitment to ending hunger by 2025, commitment to halving poverty by 2025, commitment to boosting intra-African trade, commitment to enhancing resilience in livelihoods and production systems to climate variability and other shocks, and commitment to mutual accountability to actions and results.

In the last 10 years, CAADP achieved 47 country compacts, 44 national investment plans, 29 country business meetings, and one regional compact and investment plan. About 10 of 54 African Union member states have reached the 10% target of allocating at least !0% of public investment in agriculture. NEPAD has intervened in CAADP by promoting zero hunger, agro-industry development, consolidating CAADP to leverage increased financing to agriculture, and youth employment and women economic empowerment. In South Africa, the national CAADAP implementation was launched in March 2011. South Africa undertook the 10% performance investment review.

Discussion
Mr P Van Dalen (DA) said he could not pick up where South Africa fits into parts of NEPAD’s presentation. The presentation needs to include South Africa in all of its data so the Members can see how they can help the country. What was the effect of the 4 000 farmers who went to kick start the agriculture industry in northern Africa? It seems as if there were successful farms that lasted two-three years and then they would fall flat. There needs to be a market opportunity before the farms are put in place to ensure success.

Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries on Progress Made in Implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme
The delegation from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (DAFF) consisted of Mr Senzeni Zokwana, Deputy Minister; Mr MM Mlengana, Director General; Mr Mokutule Kgobokoe, Deputy Director General of Policy, Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation; Mr IW Makabanyane, Acting Chief of Staff; Ms Siphokazi Ndudane, Deputy Director General of Fisheries Management; Ms Alicia Stevens, Chief Director of Operations Support; Mr Anthony Dietrich, Advisor to the Minister; Ms Bongeka Mdleleni, Assistant to the Director General; Ms Kwena Komape, Acting Director General of Economic Development, Trade, and Marketing: and Ms Jenetha Mahlangu, Director of Americas, Australasia, Europe and Middle East Relations.

CAADP was implemented in South Africa in 2011. There were 11 consultative workshops with over 2000 participants including farmers from almost every district in attendance. A compact and a National Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plan were drafted in hopes of being signed. South Africa has over 70 agricultural programmes at national, provincial, district and local municipality levels. South Africa has five priority components in implementing these agricultural programmes:

Priority Component 1: Intensification and Development of Sustainable Production Systems
Focuses on field crops, horticultural products, fisheries, aquaculture, livestock for subsidence, smallholder and commercial farmers which sets out to increase agricultural production, productivity and profitability. The programme targets subsistence producers, smallholders and commercial producers.

Priority Component 2: Agribusiness, Value Chain and Market Development and Policy Reform
Focuses on creating profitable and competitive on and off farms enterprises in a broader range of sustainable, profitable and integrated value chains.

Priority Component 3: Education, Capacity and Professional Development
Seeks to build a professional, developed entrepreneurial farming community with the knowledge and skills to participate in the entire value chain and offer opportunities (internships, mentoring, scholarships and continued professional development) and attract new entrants into the sector (particularly the youth).

Priority Component 4: Social Development Programmes for Resilient Livelihoods:
Seeks to strengthen the impact of social protection programmes and encourage home and school gardens and agri-parks to improve food security and nutrition. The programme will lean heavily on the Household Food and Nutrition Security Strategy being implemented by the Departments of Social Development and Health in partnership with DAFF and the Department of Rural Development and Land reform. Increased coordination of programmes will be ensured.

Priority Component 5: Institutional Capacity Development
Sector institutional capacity development for improved coordination, partnership and alignment seeks to build capacity for communicating, knowledge sharing and monitoring and evaluation for more effective institutions to drive coordination, planning and implementation.

There is a Draft Biennial Review Report due on the 30 of June 2017 to the Africa Union Commission. The report will include seven performance themes, 22 performance categories, and 43 performance indicators. This will determine the development state of South Africa and serve as a baseline for the next report so as to improve on gaps and challenges that might occur during this reporting process.

Discussion
Ms A Steyn (DA) asked where the 600 million acres of uncultivated land is located, and what is the current use of this land? The Committee would like to see the difference of GDP in the countries who are investing 10% of public investments into agriculture. Public investment in South Africa is slow because of the weak tenure systems. What has changed in the countries where private investment is increasing? The Members need to see these changes to see if the increase in private investment is linked to tenure. What should change to have economic and inclusive development? Are there examples of successful countries in this matter?

Mr P Maloyi (ANC) said the CAADP presentation was a 2014 presentation, which is irrelevant for 2017. Progress from 2014 to 2017 should be shown. The CAADP must be included in the key performance agreement of senior management. Before the end of the financial year, the compact and investment plans must be signed so that way 95% of CAADP can be achieved before 2019. If nothing is signed, CAADP will not be implemented. For the Committee’s interest on CAADP is implementation; there needs to be clear actions plan on how it will be implemented. This will assist Members to help monitor the progress of CAADP.

Mr S Mncwabe (NFP) asked where the programme’s head office was? He appreciated that the youth and women economic development was included in the presentations vision. Youth must be capacitated in certain areas in agriculture.

Mr N Capa (ANC) asked if there was an impact by South Africa in any programmes of rural development. Are there any contributing factors with the 10 countries that are doing well in public investment plan?

Inkosi R Cebekhulu (IFP) asked if as a continent, could Africa manage to make money by making progress on impacting farms? Africa is affected by drought. Seasonal rains are mostly along the coast where soils are fertile. Will there be produce harvested that relies on irrigation? Has NEPAD looked into the fact that some western countries subsidise their farmers? Can South Africa compete in that international arena?

Mr Van Dalen said it was a shame that South Africa is not a front-runner in the CAADP plans. Mr Maloyi’s recommendations were supported. The Committee needs regular reports from NEPAD on its progress. Why is the 10% commitment not reachable by South Africa?

The Chairperson agreed with the recommendations raised by the Committee. Besides the Department not signing the compact and investment plans, it raised important points on if it has the capacity to incorporate the work of CAADP. Monitoring and evaluation plans need to be put into place to get the plans signed. What is the role of Parliament on these issues?

Deputy Minister Gen Bheki Cele agree with the Committee that DAFF needs to develop a focus around CAADP. CAADP is under a branch of the Department that is not right to deal with the programme. Their Department needs to be shaped so there is a focus on CAADP and the branches of the Department work efficiently. The farmers were deployed to Congo and are fighting among themselves today because they undermined the programme. One of the challenges Africa faces is climate change as well as disease. Diseases are brought into the region from food donations. Africa needs to coordinate on this issue. The Department’s economic analysis shows that in 2008-2009 there was a decline in public investments because that was the year of the global economic crisis. DAFF agrees with the Committee in that it must make sure global agreements on trade empower farmers. South Africa also faces the challenge of high import costs. If the country wants to improve on organic production, agriculture needs to use green houses.

The 200 killings happened on farms in about 100 days. These killings reflect a social existence around farming that needs to change. South Africa is becoming the king of human trafficking, which is deployed by farmers. DAFF will come prepared with a programme that will articulate its plan to implement its programmes. The Department struggles with reporting to the Committee. This is an outcome of an aloft reporting system internal to DAFF. The Department will fix this and report back to the Committee. When farmers go to another country, they need to assist South Africa. There needs to be a plan in place to deal with drought. There is more rain in coastal areas, but to deal with climate change, water-harvesting needs to be implemented to ensure that 40% of harvests can be produced under irrigation. The Department apologises that every time it comes before the Committee it seems unprepared or they do not give a convincing report.

The Chairperson said the Committee needs to know the impact that the GDP of other countries have on South Africa.

Mr Cebekhulu said that agricultural land is being lost to urban development. They need to come together on this issue as well as the rainwater matters.

The Chairperson said agriculture needs to contribute to the GDP of South Africa.

Mr A Madella (ANC) said people with disabilities need to be a matter of concern and should be incorporated into the growth of agriculture.

Mr Bwalya said that NEPAD is putting in a system so that people know what is expected of them in terms of reporting. NEPAD wants member states to participate in building clear targets and accountability milestones. NEPAD will not support business and grow the economy without taking care of the people. Economy and growth of the people have to go together. Over 60% of Africa’s population lives 100km from the sea. Ocean economy has been neglected by Africa; other people are fishing in Africa’s waters. Africa needs to convene at regional levels to agree on regional policies for security management of the marines. The same with disease; there needs to be regional platforms so countries can come together and determine regional standards. NEPAD asks for two responsibilities from the African Union. One responsibility is that action will be felt through strengthening regional platforms and that there is implementation of NEPAD’s plans. There needs to be a plan to make CAADP grow South Africa and the region. South Africa’s success is not about supporting other countries; it’s about building balance across other countries to strengthen South Africa and the region.

NEPAD had on several occasions requested to brief Parliament on its implementation and functions, but it is not happening. NEPAD is however, providing reports to Parliament on agriculture. The same process is being done with the African Peer Review Mechanism. The bodies need to come together to work on the implementation. On the GMO, NEPAD has an office in Kenya and Burkina Faso. These offices are to inform member states on the implications of GMO so that way they can make informed decisions. NEPAD wants gene protection within the foreign seed industry. Other continents get Africa’s indigenous food genes and 100 years from now, Africa will be buying indigenous African food from other continents. There are biotechnology centres that are preserving these genes. NEPAD is working to map the whole continent and figure out what all the land is being used for. When this information is complete, it will be presented to the Committee.

What this report will not be able to find is the availably of water, including ground water. Irrigation is not the automatic answer for drought because there has to be water for irrigation to even work. Kenya is currently planning a system to know how much water they have for the next 30-40 years. The countries moving high in the 10% of public investment have ministries of finance that are provided rationale from the ministries of agriculture.

The Deputy Minister said the budget issue is that in the clusters, some Departmental officials had the perception that signing the compact meant signing for 10% of budget, which is not true. No treasury can be instructed to put 10% of the national budget into any one structure. The treasury has to willingly put the budget to a structure. It has been demonstrated in several areas that if used wisely, public investment can leverage private investment.

Ms Steyn said she would be expecting the information on the 600 acres of land.

Mr Bwalya said he would give the Department the information, as well the GDP information on the countries allocating 10% to public investment. The investments are now in the legal systems of the African Union. The bias of migration of people from rural to urban areas needs to be dealt with by affirmative action. There needs to be access to facilities in the rural areas to deal with the migration.

The Deputy Minister said the Department does recognise people with disabilities and they are given a chance in its programmes. There are areas of development dedicated for people with disabilities and they are producing very well. They Department needs to work on recognition for these matters. NEPAD should do more work to develop African fisheries.

The Chairperson said the Committee supports the Department and it should utilise NEPAD. NEPAD is meant to support the government.

The meeting was adjourned.