Question NW2281 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

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01 December 2021 - NW2281

Profile picture: Tlhape, Dr ME

Tlhape, Dr ME to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

In view of her announcement on 1 October 2020 that 700 000 hectares of underutilised land which translated to 896 farms were to be redistributed, what (a) progress has been made in this regard and (b) steps has her department taken to ensure that the specified farms will not lay fallow and beneficiaries are assisted to start farming right away?

Reply:

a) There are 1 535 farms amounting to 691 523 hectares of agricultural state land that were identified for redistribution of which currently a total of 1 421 farms amounting to 650 550 hectares translating to 91% have been approved for allocation to various categories of beneficiaries.

b) The support to these farmers with production inputs and other agricultural inputs will commence in the new financial year starting 2022/23 through the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP). This will happen over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period due to the number of farmers and the budget required. The roll – out of training programmes in the allocated farms has started. A total of 106 beneficiaries have received training on business entrepreneurship in 66 farms in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West

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