Question NW1551 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
21 June 2022 - NW1551
Montwedi, Mr Mk to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
(a) What additional assistance will her department provide to farmers who have been under extreme pressure to sustain operations for a period of time now and (b) how has the farming sector been transformed to allow for black entrants to participate?
Reply:
a) Since the start of the lock down as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic on 27 March 2020, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) implemented strategic projects to assist farmers inclusive of the following:
- The COVID 19 relief programme for smallholder producers;
- The Presidential Employment Stimulus for subsistence producers with a focus on women, youth people with disabilities and veterans;
- Working on the Blended Finance modalities and launching the industrial leg of the programme with the IDC;
- Intensely working with partners in implementation of the Jobs Fund Project with National Treasury;
- Continuous support through Programmes such as CASP and Ilima/ Letsema to focus on strategic impact of sustainability;
- The finalisation of the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP) with additional emphasis on increasing support for grains, red meat value chain, citrus and cotton; and
- Working with Provincial Departments of Agriculture to employ additional extension personnel who will support farmers with technical advisory services
b) The transformation of the agricultural sector is an ongoing process to include all black entrants across the subsistence, smallholder and commercial levels. Different transformation programmes target different farmer groups but with a focus for overall integration. The main effort being undertaken by DALRRD in relation to transformation is the Agriculture and Agro Processing Master Plan which is a social compact that aims to enhance existing and future transformation efforts.