Question NW1053 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
30 October 2019 - NW1053
Masipa, Mr NP to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
(1) What measures will her department take to help speed up drought relief funding to the farmers of the Northern Cape while they are waiting for the proclamation of the provincial disaster area to be gazzetted in view of the fact that farmers are currently so indebted that they cannot secure loans to buy feed resulting in farm workers being at risk of losing their jobs?
Reply:
a) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has together with the Provincial Department of Agriculture in the Northern Cape reprioritized Casp budgets and set aside R30 million for provision of fodder for affected farmers as well as expansion of existing fodder production initiative of the province which include the planting of hay and lucerne by farmers along the Orange River. The boreholes have been drilled and equipped for water reticulation.
The Department has also collaborated with the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) to expedite the process of classifying and declaring a state of Provincial Drought Disaster to assist farmers to better negotiate for leniency with their financiers. The team led by the NDMC is currently conducting the verification exercise in the Province to ensure that Disaster Management Act is complied with. Following this verification, the NDMC will classify a provincial state of drought disaster.