Questions & Replies: Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries

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2010-12-10

Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries questions (July - December 2010)

THIS FILE CONTAINS 25 REPLIES.

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QUESTION 2199

DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 20 AUGUST 2010 [IQP No 23- 2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 2199 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(1) How many (a) farm workers, (b) nongovernmental organisations representing farm workers and (c) government departmental representatives attended the provincial farm worker summits which were held in each province leading up to the National Summit of 29 to 31 July 2010;

(2)(a) What are the full names of the farm workers who attended the summits and (b) on which farms are they employed in each case;

(3)(a) What (i) was the actual cost of hosting these summits in each province and (ii) is the breakdown thereof and (b) which budget expense account was utilised to pay for the summit? NW2706E

REPLY:

(1)Number of (a) farm workers, (b) non government organisations representing farm workers and (c) government departments' representatives attended the provincial farm worker summits which were in each province leading to the National Summit of 30 – 31 July 2010.

Province

Date of the provincial summit

Total number of farm workers attended (a)

Total number of NGO's representing farm workers (b)

Total number of government officials who attended (c)

Eastern Cape

13 – 14 May 2010

169

12

50

Free State

17 – 18 July 2010

274

5

70

Gauteng

23 – 24 April 2010

187

5

102

KwaZulu Natal

29 – 30 April 2010

180

4

24

Limpopo

12 – 13 May 2010

292

14

31

Mpumalanga

23 – 24 July 2010

103

25

60

Northern Cape

06 – 07 May 2010

150

10

50

North West

04 – 05 March 2010

190

56

64

Western Cape

10 – 11 May 2010

423

105

68

TOTAL

1968

236

519

(2) Attached Annexure A are attendance register

(3) Provincial expenditure

Province

Amount spent

1

Eastern Cape

450,935.00

2

Free State

517,951.10

3

Gauteng

469,796.24

4

Kwazulu Natal

501,996.94

5

Limpopo

380,445.20

6

Mpumalanga

305,632.57

7

Northern Cape

0

8

North West

510,230.66

9

Western Cape

496,725.00

TOTAL COSTS

3,633,712.71

The departmental budget was used for these summits

QUESTION 2140

DATE OF PUBLICATION: TUESDAY 13 AUGUST 2010 [IQP No 21 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 2140 for written reply: National Assembly, Mrs S V Kalyan (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(a) What was the process followed that led to the decision to end commercial forestry at Tokai and Cecilia plantations?

(b) What were the principal reasons for the decision?

(c) Whether any consultations were held with interested and affected parties before and after the decision to clear-fell the trees was taken; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2580E

REPLY:

(a) During 1999 Cabinet took a decision to exit commercial forestry in some parts of the country including Tokai and Cecilia plantations, which were later assigned to SANParks for management. Subsequent to the assignment of the land, SANParks developed a Management Framework for Tokai and Cecilia, which was open for public consultation.

(b) The rational was to enhance biodiversity by converting Tokai & Cecilia back into natural vegetation and integrate it into the Table Mountain National Park to allow for the return of the critically endangered species within the fynbos biome.

In terms of the transfer agreement, SANPARKS would continue to accommodate commercial forestry activities for the duration of lease agreement entered into by government and MTO Forestry Pty Limited. The agreement also required SANParks to manage the plantations on a multiple use and sustainable basis within a broader conservation framework .They also have committed to preparing a publicly accepted plan, which will strive to find a balance between conservation, timber production for the duration of the lease, outdoor recreation and the cultural landscape values. The purpose of the agreement was to achieve a balance between the interests of the Cape Town community and the important conservation objectives.

(c) SANParks concluded a public consultation process by the end of December 2006 in terms of which they wanted to obtain the public's input on the development of a Management Framework for the Table Mountain National Park. During the course of these consultations the public voiced their opposition against the removal of the Tokai and Cecilia Plantations – a concern that was expected. SANParks revised their management framework and after more public consultations published the final Framework in May 2009 which will ensure integrated management of the area.

QUESTION 2139

DATE OF PUBLICATION: TUESDAY 13 AUGUST 2010 [IQP No 21 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 2139 for written reply: National Assembly, Mrs S V Kalyan (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(a) What plan governs the removal of trees from the Tokai and Cecilia plantations and who was responsible for drawing it up?

(b) Whether her department will revisit the decision to end commercial forestry at these locations; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

(c) What funding is available under the current plan for the rehabilitation of the land to fynbos and what is the expected cost per hectare for rehabilitation? NW2579E

REPLY:

(a) The harvesting of the pine plantations at Tokai and Cecilia is governed by the 20-year lease signed by the (then) Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry and the forestry company, MTO Forestry, a private company which won the public tender to purchase and harvest the plantation trees. The lease was assigned by the Minster to SANParks to manage. The assignment provides for the land to be de-proclaimed as State Forest and proclaimed as National Park.

(b) This is not possible as legal commitments are in place. Nor is it considered desirable to do so – a thorough, Cabinet-endorsed process was followed that led to the decision to end commercial forestry at these locations, and assign the land to SANParks.

(c) The lease agreement entered into with MTO and ceded to SANparks provides for the rehabilitation fee to be made available by per hector felled. In terms of the lease MTO pays SANparks R35000 per ha, which is escalated every year by 50% of CPI and PPI figures published annually by Statics South Africa.

QUESTION 2131

DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 13 AUGUST 2010 [IQP No 21 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 2131 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Mr M R Shinn (DA) to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(1) Whether, with reference to her reply to question 1207 of 11 May 2010, the report by the task team on the workshop held on 4 February 2009 has been forwarded to Cabinet for discussion; if not, why not; if so, when;

(2) whether she has a strategy and vision for fishing harbours; if not, what steps has the Government taken to resolve issues raised in the Fishing Harbour Feasibility study; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) whether the Fishing Harbour Feasibility study has been made public; if not, (a) why not and (b) when will it be made public; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2571E

REPLY

(1) The task team referred to in question 1207 was appointed by the Directors-General (DGs) of the Departments of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) and the Department of Public Works (DPW). The brief of the task team was to analyse the recommendations of the harbour feasibility report, following which they would brief the DGs of the DEAT and the DPW. The DGs had agreed that upon receiving a report from the task team, they would brief their respective Ministers. The report from the task team required further engagement with the consultants on matters that needed to be clarified, which delayed feedback to the Ministers. The process was also further delayed by the restructuring of some national Departments and consequently, new executive authorities becoming involved. The two departments are currently preparing a combined submission to the current Ministers who will then table the findings at Cabinet.

(2) The Minister has indicated in her budget speech that the harbours are key vehicles for economic development for the fishing communities where they are located. However, further details on the future of the proclaimed fishing harbours will only become clear after the two Ministers have engaged on the study outcomes and the recommendations contained in the report.

(3) Due to the delays in the briefing of the Ministers as explained in (1), the departments agreed not to make the outcomes of the study public until the relevant Ministers had agreed on the report, as well as what recommendations to make to Cabinet. Following an agreement between the Ministers responsible and a subsequent briefing of Cabinet on the recommendations, the Inter- departmental Harbour Steering Committee will then embark on a road show to provide feedback and engage with all the relevant stakeholders.

QUESTION 2091

DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 06 AUGUST 2010 [IQP No 19 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 2091 for written reply: National Assembly, Mr. P J Groenewald (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

1) How many agricultural units have been operated (a) commercially and (b) noncommercially in each year since 1994 by (i) coloured, (ii) Indian, (iii) black and (iv) white farmers;

(2)(a) how many (i) of those (aa) coloured, (bb) Indian, (cc) black and (dd) white farmers are in possession of more than one agricultural unit and (ii) agricultural units are in the possession of a legal entity and (b) what is the racial composition of those legal entities;

(3) how many (a) of the agricultural units have been consolidated in other (i) existing and (ii) new agricultural units and (b) agricultural units have completely ceased to function;

(4) how many of the agricultural units that are no longer operated as such have been converted for (a) residential and (b) commercial use? NW2492A

REPLY

1) Currently, information on land use in the agricultural sector per race is not available. Due to the dynamics of the agricultural sector regular changes occur in terms of the ownership and the level of farming activity that makes record keeping thereof very difficult. At present no single database is available that captures the farm name / portion number, land owner / race and gender of the land owner as well as land use occurring on the farm. As a result of the aforementioned the CEO Forum for Agriculture has initiated a pilot project to determine land ownership (including race and gender) for each individual land parcel in four pilot areas in the country in order to determine the best suited methodology to follow for the gathering and maintenance of such information. The Department has also conducted a pilot survey in the Capricorn district of the Limpopo province to test the methodology which could be used for a farmer register system. Furthermore, the Department has a field crop boundary data set available, which indicates all cultivated land in the country. However, it does not indicate the crop planted on the land nor is the data set updated annually for every province due to cost implications. Statistical information is therefore not always complete as some of the fields may be left unplanted (fallow) for certain seasons due to a number of reasons.

According to Agricultural Census data released by Statistics SA, the official statisticians of government, the number of commercial farming units in South Africa have declined by a fifth since 1993. In 1993 there were 57 980 commercial farming units, which increased to 60 938 in 1996, but declined to 45 818 in 2002, and declined further to 39 982 farming units by 2007. This suggests a consolidation of landholding into larger units of ownership and production. With respect to the number of smallholder farmers, it is estimated that there are approximately 200 000 of these farmers. According to the Labour Force Survey, 2007, about 2.5 million households or 4 million people produce extra food for own consumption Four district municipalities, namely Vhembe in Limpopo, Umkhanyakude in KwaZulu-Natal, Alfred Nzo and OR Tambo in the Eastern Cape, account for a large percentage of household food producers, especially Vhembe and OR Tambo. A report in 2009 by the University of Stellenbosch indicates that of the estimated eight million households living in non-metro areas in South Africa, 17% or 1.3 million households, have access to land for farming purposes. About 97% of these households engage in some farming activity, mostly on relatively small plots of land. Geographically, these households are mainly clustered in the former homeland areas, with 64% of these households living in 10 districts, six of which have been declared presidential poverty nodes.

2) Since there is no single source of data available where the requested information is captured and the quality of the farm (cadastre) data is not always what it should be, the above-mentioned situation also applies to this section of the question. No race or gender information is captured as part of a title deed of a farm. It is therefore not possible to determine land ownership that may be linked to more than one farm parcel. Should the farmer not have made use of extension services or if a formal record is not kept by the various Provincial Departments of Agriculture pertaining to the farmer and his / her farming activities, no detail will be available on the particular farmer or his / her farming activities. There is also no comprehensive data base available in the country on farmers and their farming activities.

3) The AgriLand system has been developed to monitor the application pertaining to Act 70 / 70 and deployed in 2006. Before 2006 a hard copy administration system was maintained. However, the current version of the system does not indicate if a farm parcel is consolidated with another before it is sub-divided. Also not captured on the system is the size of the related farm portions or the current land use before and after the sub-division / consolidation. These requirements will be incorporated within the next upgraded version of the system. It should be mentioned, however, that the Department has no control of whether a land parcel was actually sub-divided / consolidated after permission had been granted by the Department. Also no record is kept of whether the new title deed is registered by the land owner to complete the process. Information on whether the land was kept for agricultural purposes after the process is also not maintained as this is a very costly and time consuming process. To obtain accurate information a physical farm visit is needed as a lot of agricultural practices can not be identified by using remote sensing techniques.

4) The Department has no control over other land uses that occur on a farming unit after it has been excluded from agricultural land. Supporting data sets such as the national Land Cover data 2000, and since then individual provincial land cover and land use projects can, through the aid of GIS, assist in giving an indication of any changes of land use that may have occurred. The national SPOT satellite images for the last four years are also available to assist. It is, however, a comprehensive and costly process to determine and map changes of land use from agricultural land to any other land use.

QUESTION 2077

DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 06 AUGUST 2010 [IQP No 19 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 2077 for written reply: National Assembly, Mr S B Farrow (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(1) Whether she and/or her department intends purchasing tractors for emerging farmers; if not, why not; if so, (a) what amount has been allocated for this purpose, (b) how many tractors will be purchased and (c) how will these tractors be allocated to emerging farmers in each province;

(2) whether emerging farmers will have to apply for these tractors; if not, (a) why not and (b) what criteria will be used to allocate tractors to emerging farmers; if so, what criteria will be used to determine which emerging farmers qualify for receiving these tractors;

(3) what measures will be put in place to ensure that these tractors are properly maintained and retained;

(4) whether consideration will be given to allowing the emerging farmers to select tractors of their choice; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2476E

REPLY:

(1) YES, tractors with implements will be purchased to develop mechanisation capacity where individual farmers cannot afford to own tractors due to the limited size of their cultivated land

(a) The amount allocated for this purpose is R 420 million

(b) Between 300 and 350 tractors with the required implements depending on the soil, crop and terrain in the service area

(c) Municipalities and the Provincial Departments of Agriculture will register the tractors as owners and maintain them while farmers would be able to request the mechanisation services from municipalities and provincial departments

(2) NO as the ownership rests with the government, emerging farmers would only be able to apply for the mechanisation services and not for the tractors as such

(b) Mechanisation services will be provided based on the crop planted but the tractors will not be allocated to individual farmers

(3) The department has identified a coordinator that will visit these tractors and implements regularly and will ensure that it is properly used and cared for. Where necessary, municipalities will be assisted with technical advisory services and interaction with the manufacturers of the equipment. Six monthly reports will be provided to measure the outcome of the project. The Provincial Departments of Agriculture will be issuing management contracts to assist with the utilization and maintenance of these tractors.

(4) The tractors will be obtained through the normal tender procedures and the number, size and implements required have been specified. Maintenance has also been included in the tender. The successful bidder will be determined based on price and adherence to the specifications of the tender. Where individual emerging farmers are supported to purchase tractors through part grants and part loans they are able to make their own choices

QUESTION 2039

DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 06 AUGUST 2010 [IQP No 19 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 2039 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Mr M J Ellis (DA) to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(1)(a) What is the (i) name and (ii) designation of the official who authorised an export permit for West Coast rock lobster (details furnished), (b) what is the total number of kilograms of West Coast rock lobster that has been exported under this permit since it was granted, (c) on what date was the permit granted and (d) what is the name of the exporting entity;

(2) whether this permit was linked to a certain rights holder number (details furnished); if not, to which permit was it linked; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3)(a) what is the name of the specified rights holder (details furnished), (b) when was the permit last activated, (c) how much West Coast rock lobster has been caught in total by this rights holder since the right was first granted and (d) what is the breakdown of West Coast rock lobster caught in each year since the right was first granted;

(4) whether it can be justified that the export permit is linked to the rights holder as mentioned on the export permit; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(5) whether the West Coast rock lobster comes from the source that the export permit claims it comes from; if not, what will be done to rectify the situation; if so, how was this conclusion reached? NW2433E

REPLY

The matter referred to is currently under investigation by the South African Police Services (SAPS) and the department. It is therefore not possible to disclose any details relating to the matter as this may compromise the investigation. Upon completion of the investigation, a full report can be made available.

QUESTION 2034

DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 06 AUGUST 2010 [IQP No 19 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 2034 Ms D Carter (Cope) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

Whether the Government will initiate a seeds-for-needs programme to benefit rural inhabitants to access new strains of seeds that are produced at gene banks and which are hardier than the traditional varieties of seeds; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2373E

REPLY

Currently, the Department manages a programme on conservation and sustainable use of Plant Genetic Resources for Food & Agriculture (PGRFA). This includes the collection, characterisation and storage of indigenous or traditional varieties at the National Plant Genetic Resources Centre (NPGRC) or national Gene Bank.

The mandate of the NPGRC is to provide a risk management strategy to counter genetic erosion of indigenous landrace plant genetic material. Currently, this mandate excludes research and therefore the Gene Bank does not produce any new varieties. Research institutions may however access stored material for research purposes (which may include the development of new varieties). Material is transferred under the terms of a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) which outlines the terms of use of the material. The use of the NPGRC material is key to ensure the elucidation of potentially useful characteristics towards the development of new and useful varieties.

QUESTION 2021

DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 30 JULY 2010 [IQP No 18 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 2021 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Mrs S V Kalyan (DA) to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(1)(a) When was the survey that informs the total allowable catch (TAC) revision for the pelagic fishery completed, (b) why to date has the TAC for the pelagic fishery not been signed and (c) what is the reason for the delay between the completion of the survey and signing off the TAC;

(2) what is the (a) name and (b) designation of the official tasked with signing off this TAC? NW2418E

REPLY:

(1)(a) The Pelagic Recruitment Survey, which informs the revision of the TAC for the small pelagic fishery, was scheduled to be completed on 29 June 2010. Due to favourable weather conditions the work was able to be completed ahead of schedule and the ship docked in Cape Town on 27 June 2010.

(1)(b)&(c) Upon completion of the survey, the data must be analysed and a recommendation, based on the scientific evidence, is then submitted via a number of officials to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for approval.

(2)(a)&(b) In terms of Section 14 of the Marine Living Resources Act, 1998 (Act No. 18 of 1998), Ms Tina Joemat Pettersson, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is the authority to approve any TAC.

QUESTION 2011

DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 30 JULY 2010 [IQP No 18 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 2011 for Written Reply, National Assembly: The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(1) Whether she attended a fundraising event concerning information-sharing on fishing quotas that was hosted by the Nelson Mandela Bay branch of a certain organisation (details furnished) on 1 July 2010; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) whether any of the Marine Coastal Management directors attended the event; if not, why not; if so, (a) which directors, (b) in what capacity and (c) what are the further relevant details? NW2408E

REPLY:

(1) No.

(2) No directors of the former Marine and Coastal Management (now Fisheries) attended the event.

(a) N/A

(b) N/A

(c) N/A

QUESTION 2005

DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 30 JULY 2010 [IQP No 18 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 2005 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Dr LL Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

Whether, with reference to a written request (details furnished), any funds have been or will be made available to farmers that were affected by floods in Langkloof in the Eastern Cape province in 2006 and 2007; if not, why not; if so,

(a) What amount will be made available?

(b) When will the funds be made available and

(c) How was the amount calculated? NW240E

REPLY

Funds to the total amount of R12.4 million were made available for the floods of 2006 in the Eastern Cape and no funds have been made available for the 2007 Floods within Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF).

The funds for the above assistance were requested twice, firstly directly from DAFF to the National Treasury and secondly through the National Disaster Management Centre at the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and in both instances funding requested was not approved.

QUESTION 2004

DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 30 JULY 2010 [IQP No 18 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 2004 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Dr LL Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

Whether the amount of R20 million allocated to the Eastern Cape department of agriculture in November 2009 for drought relief has been paid to the provincial department; if not,

(a) What is the reason for the delay and

(b) When will the funding be transferred; if so, when was this money paid to the provincial department? NW2401E

REPLY

Yes,

The R20 million allocated to the Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture in

November 2009 for drought relief has been transferred to the province in 15

December 2009.

(a) N/A

(b) N/A

QUESTION 1982

DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 30 JULY 2010 [IQP No 18 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 1982 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Mr N D du Toit (DA) to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(1)(a) What (i) happens to the vehicles that have been confiscated in terms of departmental policy from poachers of marine resources, (ii) type of vehicles have been confiscated since 1 January 2009 and (iii) is the (aa) date on which and (bb) location from which each of these vehicle were confiscated;

(2) whether any of these vehicles are now in the service of the fisheries branch; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2378E

REPLY:

(1)(a) (i) Vehicles are confiscated once transgressions are identified. The process followed is that the vehicles are booked and handed into the SAPS 13 register and consequently stored at a SAPS storage facility. The vehicle will remain in the safekeeping of the SAPs pending the finalization of the case. Upon finalization, vehicles may either be forfeited to the state or returned to the owner. The legitimate owner of the vehicle may also apply for the return of the vehicle during the case proceedings. In cases where vehicles are forfeited to the state, the vehicles are disposed of in accordance with the prescripts of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA)

(1)(a)(ii) 26 Sedan motor vehicles; 21 Light Delivery Vehicles, 1 truck, 1 SUV.

(ii) (aa)& (bb) See table below.

(ii) Type of vehicle

(aa) Date of confiscation

(bb) Location

LDV

Feb 2009

Kogel Bay

Sedan

April 2009

Lwandle, Strand

3 Sedans

May 2009

Cape Point, WC

Mitchells Plain

1Sedan

July 2009

Schoenmakerskop, EC

Truck

Sedan

LDV

August 2009

Gordons Bay

Kempton Park

Macassar

LDV

September 2009

Stikland

3 Sedans

October 2009

Somerset West

1 LDV

4 Sedans

November 2009

Uniondale

Montevista

2 Athlone

1 LDV

1 Sedan

December 2009

Montagu Gardens

LDV

January 2010

Strand

SUV

2 Sedans

March 2010

Mfuleni

Elands Bay

Somerset West

Sedan

June 2010

Macassar

LDV

4 Sedans

July 2010

Vredenburg

Gordons Bay

Bredasdorp

2. No. All the cases relating to the above mentioned vehicles are still pending.

QUESTION 1972

DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 30 JULY 2010 [IQP No 18 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 1972 for written reply, National Assembly: Ms D. Carter (COPE) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(1) Whether her department is taking any steps to assist farmers to produce adequate food at affordable prices to meet the country's demands; if not, why not; if so,

(2) how will her department ensure that the recent ruling on fertilizer pricing handed down against a certain entity (name furnished) by the Competition Tribunal will immediately benefit farmers by cutting their input costs? NW2356E

REPLY:

(1) Yes, the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries is taking steps to assist farmers to produce food at affordable prices to meet the country's demands.

The recent ruling by the Competition Tribunal implies the removal of the distortions (abuse of domination and price discrimination practices) in the fertilizer market. One aspect of the ruling is that the behavioral undertakings of the company found guilty of abuse of domination and price discrimination will be monitored. It is trusted that the monitoring aspect will ensure that the fertilizer market is free and prices are determined by market forces. On the basis that the domestic fertilizer market is unregulated, the DAFF does not have the power to determine or influence the market prices of fertilizers. However, the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) monitors the costs of agricultural inputs, including fertilizer costs, on a regular basis. By the beginning of 2010, the NAMC reported that the prices of fertilizers were decreasing, some at a double digit rate

(2) DAFF will continue to work closely with the NAMC to monitor fertilizer and other input cost trends.

QUESTION 1971

DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 30 JULY 2010 [IQP No 18 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 1971 for written reply, National Assembly: Ms D. Carter (COPE) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(1) Whether her Department has done any research on the application of mycorrhizal fungi in cultivating crops; if not, why not; if so,

(2) When (a) the report will be made public, and (b) South Africans will be able to apply this cultivation method in dry areas;

(3) Whether her Department has engaged India and the United Arab Emirates to assist in accelerating this approach; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW2355E

REPLY:

(1) Yes.

South Africa is involved in a number of research programs aimed at improving production and productivity in order to ensure food security, and rural as well as economic development. The Agricultural Research Council (ARC), which is a State-owned entity, together with a number of universities, are involved involved in conducting research in the use of mycorrhizal fungi and other soil mico-organisms for various purposes in crop production. The scope of current research programs includes the following:

· Nitrogen fixation aimed at increasing nitrogen of soils and thus reducing the amount of fertilisers needed to produce higher yields of crops.

· Disease control aimed at determining the effectiveness of mycorrhizal fungi with regard to blocking pathogenic organisms from accessing plant roots.

· Development of rhizobium inoculants for small-holder systems.

· Use of mycorrhizal fungi as seed treatments.

(2) The results of any research project are made available to farmers, extension services, academia and the general public on an ongoing basis. This is done through journals, the media, posters, brochures, and information days. This is aimed at promoting the adoption of improved production technologies by all farmers, including resource-poor farmers in low rainfall areas.

(3) South Africa interacts with several countries with regard to research and technology development. This includes exchange of information, expertise and experience in terms of latest development regarding mycorrhizal fungi. India is an important member of IBSA (a trilateral, developmental initiative between India, Brazil and South Africa to promote South-South co-operation and exchange). The United Arab Emirates is the economic hub of Asia, which is gradually becoming an important trading partner of South Africa.

QUESTION 1965

DATE OF PUBLICATION: MONDAY 26 JULY 2010 [IQP No 17 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 1965 for written reply, National Assembly: Ms D. Carter (COPE) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

What (a) precipitated a decline in dairy production since 1999, (b) steps are being taken to reverse the situation, and (c) measures have been taken to ensure that there are adequate dairy product supplies to be sourced from within the country?

NW2354E

REPLY:

(a) Milk production has not decreased. In fact, from 1999 to 2009 production has increased from 1 960 billion liters of milk to 2 550 billion liters of milk.

(b) Since there has not been a decrease, steps to reverse the situation are not relevant.

(c) The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has, in consultation with the broader stakeholders in the livestock industry, developed and published an implemented livestock development strategy to address the needs of the industry. In particular, the Department has initiated a mentorship program to assist emerging farmers in the dairy industry, implemented dairy recording and improvement schemes to improve on milk production, and dairy cattle husbandry to ensure sustainability and competitiveness of the dairy industry.

QUESTION 1964

WRITTEN REPLY

DATE OF PUBLICATION: MONDAY 26 JULY 2010 [IQP No 17 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 1964 for written reply: National Assembly, MS D. Carter (COPE) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(1) Whether there are any plans/programmes in place to actively counteract the threat to food production and food security by water pollution caused by effluent drainage from mining operations; if not, why not; if so,

(2) Whether there has been any interaction with the Department of Water Affairs in order to remedy the situation; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) whether any steps have been taken to deal with the concerns of the European Union regarding grain exports from South Africa and the toxicity of water; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2352E

REPLY

1. The legislation for mitigation of the impact on water pollution by mining activities and other activities lies within the mandates of the Department of Water Affairs and the Department of Minerals and Energy. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries participates in the various forums that the two Departments have established and provides advice on issues relating to the threat to food production and food security by these activities.

2. There is interaction between the DAFF and the DWA to address these and other issues relating to the use of water by the sector.

3. South Africa imports grains for animal feed. The grains that South Africa produces for human consumption are not genetically modified (GM) free which is not according to EU requirements.

According to international research, the uptake of heavy metals by plant organs such as fruit and seeds (grains included) is minimal due to their low transpiration rates and the fact that they are largely phloem-loaded thus rendering heavy metals generally poorly mobile in the phloem.

QUESTION 1963

DATE OF PUBLICATION: MONDAY 26 JULY 2010 [IQP No 17 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 1963 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Ms D Carter (Cope) to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(1) Whether she has been informed of any discernible, significant or repetitive shifts in climate that have negatively impacted on agriculture in the past 5 years; if so,

(2) Whether climate change will have an impact on food security; if not, why not; if so,

(3) whether there are any long term plans in place to alleviate the effects of climate change on agriculture and food security; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(4) Whether any steps have been taken by her department to assist and support farmers to ensure that their farms remain viable and productive; if not, why not; if so, what steps? NW2351E

REPLY

(1) Yes,

· Observed climate data from research work done shows South Africa becoming hotter over four decades with a yearly temperature increased by 0.13 degrees Celsius which will certainly affect the growth of certain crops/fruits (e.g. grapes) since they depend on chill factor.

· Research is being conducted to ascertain whether the increasing frequencies of natural disasters and hazards such as droughts, floods and veldfires, etc which is causing serious damage to agricultural infrastructures and production are due to climate change and/or climate variability.

· The Second National Communication (SNC) highlights areas of discernible, significant or repetitive shifts in climate that have negatively impacted on agriculture in the past 5 years.

(2) Yes,

· Global warming of more than 2.5 degrees could reduce annual rainfall amount that will have an impact on production and can lead to reduction in food supplies and contribute to higher food prices.

· Increased droughts and temperatures will have a serious impact on food availability.

(3) Yes,

· There are long-term plans. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), within its mandate as custodian of the agricultural sector and as per Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002 and National Climate Change Response Policy, has several climate change-related policies and programmes in place such as Agricultural Disaster Management Plan and

· A comprehensive 2008 draft Climate Change Sector Plan for Agriculture (CCSP).

· In addition, the commercial farming sector, with the knowledge and support of DAFF, developed a draft Agricultural Disaster Risk Management Plan for the country's agricultural sector which significantly contributes to awareness of risk management and the impacts of climate change;

· The 2007 Climate Change and the Agricultural Sector in South Africa document which highlights areas for interventions;

· The completed Greenhouse gases (GHG) inventory project aimed to provide a more comprehensive, updated GHG inventory for the Agricultural sector for the year 2004 and provide a spreadsheet based toolkit which could be used, together with the report, to easily update the Agricultural GHG inventory in the future.

· What remains is to emerge with an integrated plan for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

(4)

· The established Early Warning System by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries communicates early warning information in the form of monthly National Agro-meteorological Committee (NAC) advisories and extreme weather warnings when available. This is in line with the Disaster Management Act, No.57 of 2002 which puts more emphasis on the disaster risk reduction, prevention, mitigation and preparedness.

· The NAC advisory and climate press release for winter season issued on May 2010 encouraged farmers to put precautionary measures in place for natural hazards such as cold spells. Furthermore, the extreme weather warnings with suggested strategies to mitigate the impact of frost/cold condition were issued from 14 June 2010. This is done in partnership with the South African Weather Service (SAWS) and ARC who are doing regular monitoring and giving advices to the farming communities.

· In addition the outputs from the research studies done by DAFF on an Atlas of Climate Change which identifies vulnerable areas and GHG inventory will inform the development of the Adaptation and Mitigations strategies, policy, research and action plans for the sector in line with the research output to assist farmers so they can remain viable and productive.

QUESTION 1939

DATE OF PUBLICATION: MONDAY 26 JULY 2010 [IQP No 17 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 1939 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Mr. M M Swathe (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

a) How many newly acquired farms received assistance from Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme?

b) Where is each of these farms?

c) What amount has being allocated for the programme?

REPLY:

a) The CASP programme is a conditional grant that is governed by the Division of Revenue Act, under a schedule 4 grant. The prerequisite for funding require the submission of a business plan that needs to be assessed and evaluated to determine the feasibility and the sustainability of the project. This process then does not provide assistance immediately; certain farms could have being acquired in year 2001 but received funding in the 2009/10 financial year.

For the purposes of this response, we will focus on the 2009/10 and the 2010/11 CASP funded projects that received assistance for the first time.

In 2010/11 year of implementation, from the total CASP allocation for projects of R577 611 million, of which R205 764 (36%) million will be used to fund 231 new CASP projects.

In the 2009/10 financial year, from the allocation of R544 631 million that was allocated for CASP projects, R211 915 million (39%) was used to fund 271 new projects.

b) These CASP funded projects are located within the local municipalities within the districts in province. The table below breaks down to district in which project is found, no of projects per districts and the amount allocated per district in the province.

Table attached: CASP funded projects with location and allocation per province for 2010/11 and 2009/10

QUESTION 1937

DATE OF PUBLICATION: MONDAY 26 JULY 2010 [IQP No 17 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 1937 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Mr. E J Marais (DA) to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(1) Whether the Nooitgedacht proof farm was the property of the Agriculture department of Mpumalanga; if not, to whom did the property belong; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) Whether this farm was sold; if not, why not; if so, (a) to whom, (b) on what date, (c) at what price and (d) what are the further relevant details?NW2325E

REPLY:

(1) The Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Administration (Mpumalanga) is registered as the User Department of the said farm, while the property physically belongs to the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport (Mpumalanga)

(2) The farm was not sold since it is still being utilised as a research farm. It is however being threatened by mining development and the Department is currently objecting to the application for coal prospecting rights on the property.

QUESTION 1920

DATE OF PUBLICATION: MONDAY 26 JULY 2010 [IQP No 17 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 1920 for written reply: National Assembly; Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(1) Whether, with reference to the reply to question 1867 on 17 June 2010 and the financial impact that the harbour and rail strike of 25 May 2010 had on the fruit industry, she has (a) formulated and (b) implemented any contingency plan to curb job and financial losses to the fruit industry as a result of the strike; if not, why not in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case;

(2)whether she has formulated any contingency plans to minimise financial and job losses as a result of strikes of this nature in the future; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2308E

REPLY:

1) The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) has continued to monitor the impact of the recent harbour and rail strike on the agricultural economy. From the interaction with the agricultural industries, it was noted that there have been job losses at the farm level and in the packing facilities, mainly because supply chain came to a halt as a result of the strike. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) further learned that there have not been significant job losses at the exporters level. However, the industry experienced substantial financial losses, as stated in May 2010.Due to the great potential that risks brought about by occurrences such as strikes could have in terms of denting the country's agricultural trade competitiveness, it becomes essential to come up sector-wide and value chain-wide risk management and holistic strategies aimed at establishing a strong foundation to enhance competitiveness of the South African agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries.

2) As indicated, DAFF takes a holistic approach to dealing with strengthening our sector's international trade competitiveness through managing potential risks that could negatively impact on our status. It is against this background that DAFF is far advanced with its formulation of an integrated Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Sector Plan, which is due shortly for extensive stakeholders consultation. The plan recognizes elimination of barriers and mitigation of risks that could potentially harm our competitiveness position internationally. It further considers important creation of the enabling environment to allow farm, forestry and fisheries business to strive and become more profitable, and to be able to generate decent jobs and ensure equitable and sustainable economic growth, in line with Government's MTSF priorities. Important elements of such a holistic strategy include, among others, agro logistics and infrastructure. Government across all its spheres, industry, as well as labour will, become partners in ensuring that implementation of the sector plan takes place successfully and will achieve maximum impact.

QUESTION 1909

DATE OF PUBLICATION: MONDAY 26 JULY 2010 [IQP No 17 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 1909 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Mr N D du Toit (DA) to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

Whether, with reference to her reply to question 1362 of 23 June 2010, any of the members of the anti-poaching unit in the Fisheries Branch currently receive (a) a state pension or (b) any other state grant; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (i) what are the relevant details of the grants received in respect of each member and (ii) what is the position with regard to staff employed by the Fisheries Branch whilst they are receiving state grants? NW2296E

REPLY:

a) Only 4 of the 57 members receive a special pension. These members are i. Mongezi Dosi

ii. Melinathi Dyirha

iii. Minnie Mathews and

iv. Mxolisi Mlanjeni.

b) No, the members of the anti-poaching unit are not staff employed by the Fisheries Branch but are employed by an independent Service Provider, Manuel Security Services.

i. N/A

ii. N/A