Question NW446 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
29 April 2024 - NW446
Masipa, Mr NP to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
(a) What are the strategies and plans of her department regarding the provision of extension services to the small-holding farmers and (b) how does she plan to use graduates in agriculture to assist with extension services, especially for land reform and small-scale farmers?
Reply:
a) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) through the Provincial Departments of Agriculture (PDAs) is providing Extension and Advisory Services (EAS) to various categories of farmers. Public extension practitioners provide support mostly to smallholder and subsistence farmers whereas most commercial farmers have private extension practitioners.
b) DALRRD developed an extension programme to increase the capacity of EAS by recruiting unemployed agricultural graduates as extension practitioners at entry level as Assistant Agricultural Practitioners (AAPs). This programme was only implemented for several months through which 4 370 AAPs were employed and deployed to various local agricultural offices to service farmers. The programme was discontinued in July 2023 due to limited financial support.
Currently the only limited funding available is the Extension Recovery Plan (ERP) which is a grant fund that aims to ensure:
- visibility and accountability;
- professionalism and improving image;
- recruitment of Extension Personnel; and
- reskilling and re-orientation and provision of ICT and other resources.
Already 70% of the grant pays for salaries of extension practitioners who are employed on contract and the remaining 30% serves the other four pillars.
The Department still intends, subject to budget availability, to employ unemployed graduates at entry level as Assistant Agricultural Practitioners. In this regard, engagements with National Treasury are continuing to source sustainable funding for the programme. Once the funds are made available the programme will be implemented as planned with Provincial Departments of Agriculture leading as the main employer of Extension Practitioners.