Question NW1726 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
30 October 2020 - NW1726
Mbabama, Ms TM to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
How many hectares of land does the Ingonyama Trust own in KwaZulu-Natal; (2) what percentage of the specified land is considered viable for (a) agriculture, (b) livestock and (c) crop farming in particular; (3) how many hectares of the land is currently being used for (a) subsistence farming and (b) commercial farming; (4) what mechanisms are currently in place to allow occupants of Ingonyama Trust Board land to gain access to financing from (a) the Government and/or (b) commercial banks for agricultural purposes; (5) whether she has found that female farmers have equal access to land rights on Ingonyama Trust Board land as men; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(1) Approximately 2.8million hectares.
(2)(a),(b),(c) No study has been conducted to determine the viability of land.
(3)(a),(b) The Ingonyama Trust Board has not conducted any audit regarding the extent of land being used for subsistence or commercial farming.
(4)(a),(b) The Lease Tenure Instrument issued by the Ingonyama Trust Board (ITB) is accepted by all financial institutions, but has no influence on the funding criteria used by government and/ or commercial banks for agricultural projects.
(5) According to the information from the ITB, Yes every farmer has equal access to ITB land regardless of the gender.