Question NW1094 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
04 May 2023 - NW1094
Cebekhulu, Inkosi RN to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
Whether, with regard to the moderate to severe food insecurity facing many South Africans with the ever-increasing amounts of degraded land being a major contributor to the situation, her department has any regenerative agricultural and/or agroforest programmes currently underway in the Republic; if not, why not; if so, how have local communities been included in the value chain of the programmes in order to (a) produce their own food, (b) upskill and (c) find work?
Reply:
Yes. The Department of Agriculture Land Reform and Rural Development (DALLRD) the LandCare programme which is a community-based programme focusing on optimizing productivity and the sustainable use of natural resources leading to greater productivity, food security and job creation through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The key consideration is that there are circumstances which, based on soil mapping and analysis in order to improve soil fertility, soil organic carbon status and rectification of deficiency alternative measures, need to be considered which entail the use of fertilisers within prescribed measures.
a) The Department in collaboration with the provinces, implements the LandCare programme, wherein conservation measures are considered to support local farmers in creating a sustainable farming system that would maintain productivity while reducing land degradation.
b) Through demonstration projects in provinces communities participate in capacity building, wherein farmers are able to increase production yield and upgrade from small-scale to subsistence farming. These capacity-building initiatives include soil surveys and soil fertility testing. Furthermore, communities participate in exchange learning programmes inclusive of cultivation methods, weed control and related maintenance and calibration of conservation agriculture – no till planters.
c) The LandCare programme has job creation pillars within the EPWP, wherein project beneficiaries are provided with temporary jobs while implementing projects and skills to sustain the project afterwards towards the prevention of land degradation. It is envisaged that with continued farming system farmers are empowered to alternative usage of skills acquired.