Questions & Replies: Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries

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2014-03-03

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Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 3006

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Mr C D Matsepe (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

Whether, with regard to the implementation of the Use of Official Language Policy Act, Act 12 of 2012 and since the reply of the Minister of Arts and Culture to question 990 on 6 June 2013, his department implemented the Act; if not, when will the Act be implemented; if so, which languages have been adopted as official languages of his department? NW3650E

REPLY:

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is in the process of updating and revising the departmental language policy, to include the regulations in terms of the Use of Official Languages Act, 2012 (Act No. 12 of 2012), which took effect on 2 May 2013. After the internal consultation processes have been finalised, the official proposed languages will be adopted and the policy will be approved. The Act will be implemented as soon as these processes have been completed.

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2972

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Mr P G Atkinson (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

Whether he intends to pay bonuses to staff in his department; if so, (a) what criteria has been used to award bonuses, (b) how many staff members will be receiving bonuses, (c) what total amount will be spent on staff bonuses and (d) was this amount budgeted for? NW3616E

REPLY:

Chapter 4, clause 15.3 of the SMS Handbook and clause 9.5 of the DPSA Employee Performance Management and Development System Framework (for levels 12 and below) stipulates that departments must not spend more than 1.5% of their remuneration budget for bonuses.

Policy guiding the consideration of bonuses is derived from the Department of Public Service and Administration's EPMDS Framework that was issued to all departments.

The information requested will be made available in Annual Reports which will be made public once tabled in Parliament.

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2951

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Mr A G Whitfield (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

(1) With reference to his reply to question 2247 on 6 November 2014, how many jobs is the Algoa Bay Aquaculture Development Zone project expected to create;

(2) with regard to the finding by the environmental impact assessment that the impact significance of the proposed project is medium with mitigation, (a) how was this decision reached, (b) by whom was it reached and (c) what factors are looked at when determining whether the impact of a proposed project is (i) low, (ii) medium, (iii) or high risk;

(3) (a) what are the details of potential investors who have shown some interest in the project and (b) is it the intention of his department that this project be funded locally? NW3595E

REPLY:

(1) There are 243 registered fishing boats in the Algoa Bay harbour, with an average of five fishermen per boat, giving a total of just over 1200 fishermen working on the boats (Mr Dana, Brian Adamson). An additional 1386 direct jobs were created by the Aquaculture Developmental Zones which would therefore translate into a doubling of the current employment opportunities in the local fishing industry.

(2)(a) The Environmental Practitioner and relevant specialists who are independent and unbiased formulates the mitigation and significance of the impacts.

(2)(b) The Environmental Practitioner and specialists contracted to undertake the detailed studies of the Environmental Impact Assessment process.

(2)(c) The impacts are assessed in terms of the Guideline for Involving Biodiversity Specialists in Environmental Impact Assement Processes (DEAT, 2005). The factors include the nature, extent, duration, intensity, probability, significance and confidence of prediction of the impact. Each identified impact is considered in terms of each of these criteria and tabulated. Where mitigation measures are available, they are considered and the overall impact ratings can be adjusted given the effectiveness of the mitigations measures. Specialist confidence in the predictions becomes lower when very little comparative data is available to provide the significance ratings.

(3)(a) There are no potential investors yet. The marketing of the Aquaculture Development Zone will commence if the Environmental Authorisation is upheld by the Minister. When the final authorisation for the Aquaculture Development Zone is granted by the Department of Environmental Affairs, then the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will, in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry, develop a marketing strategy and initiatives to get investment for the Aquaculture Development Zone. To date there are no investors formally enlisted.

(3)(b) The Department will manage the Aquaculture Developmental Zones but the investment and production of fish will be undertaken by successful investor or investors who could either be local, national or international.

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2950

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Ms A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

Does his department intend to stop the Stats SA research into the agricultural sector; if so, (a) what are the reasons for doing so and (b) what plans has his department put in place to conduct the research itself? NW3594E

REPLY:

  1. No the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has no intention of stopping Stats SA from doing its work. The department in fact does not have the mandate nor the powers to do so.
  1. We instead seek to forge a working relationship with Stats SA in determining the research agenda and research strategy for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, with a focus on informing Agriculture's new found Policy directive stated in the National Development Plan i.e. creating 1 million jobs by 2030 and developing an Inclusive Rural Economy.

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2949

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Ms A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

Does his department have funding models in place to assist small-scale farmers; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW3593E

REPLY:

The South African government has identified small scale farmers as a vital player to ensuring food security and contribute significantly towards the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

To this end, comprehensive programmes; strategies and policies geared towards the support and development of subsistence and smallholder producers have been developed. These initiatives also encourage farmers and other role players to participate in the agricultural value chain so as to contribute to food security, job creation, rural development, etc. Through these initiatives, vast resources have been invested over the years to ensure food security for all and to stimulate black economic empowerment within the agricultural sector.

The DAFF's existing interventions/strategies geared towards farmer's development and support include:

1. Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP)

Aim

- To provide post-settlement support to the targeted beneficiaries of land reform and other producers who have acquired land through private means and are engaged in value- adding enterprises domestically or in export. The comprehensive available support includes on/off-farm infrastructure (including mechanization service), training, business development and marketing, technical and advisory services, financial support and information and knowledge management.

2. Ilima- Letsema

Aim

- To provide production inputs, but in a grant format, to encourage optimum production in all agricultural projects, particularly those in communal areas

3. Micro Agricultural Financial Institutions of South Africa (MAFISA)

Aim

- It is a financial scheme developed to address the financial services needs of smallholder farmers and agribusinesses. It provides capital (loans) to enhance agricultural activities for the purchase of: production inputs, .e.g. fertilisers, seeds, etc; small-scale farming equipment and implements, e.g. wheel barrow, etc.; purchase of livestock, animal feeds, etc.

4. LANDCARE PROGRAMME

Aim

- To optimise productivity and sustainable use of natural resources leading to increased agricultural production, food security, job creation and better quality life for all

- LandCare Programme has four themes: Watercare, Junior Landcare, Veldcare and Soilcare.

5. AGRIBEE

Aim

- To promote the entity and participation of black people in the entire agricultural value chain through the provision of funding for equity deals, acquisition of interests in agricultural entities and enterprise development (small, medium and micro enterprise) to people who were previously marginalised to participate in the economy of South Africa

- To ensure that there is an increased number of black people who own, manage and control sustainable enterprises in the agricultural sector

- To have an improved participation by designated groups as stated in the AgriBEE charter namely: black women, back youth, black farm workers and black people with disabilities, throughout the agricultural value chain.

Furthermore, cabinet in 2013/14 financial year approved the FETSA TLALA Integrated Food Production Initiative. Fetsa Tlala is the premier food production initiative which aims to ensure the increase in food production so as to address the status of people who have been declared as food insecure in South Africa.

Fetsa Tlala intends to support subsistence and smallholder farmers to put one million hectares under production by 2018/19. The overarching goal of the initiative is to ensure food availability thus contributing towards the National Development Plan (NDP) goal of ending hunger by 2030.

These strategies/ programmes/ initiatives are therefore intended to make interventions through provision of the following support pillars:

Ø On and off farm infrastructure support;

Ø Technical and Advisory Assistance and Regulatory Services;

Ø Training and Capacity building;

Ø Marketing and Business Development;

Ø Information and Technology Management,

Ø Production Inputs

Ø Financial Assistance and

Ø Mechanization

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2948

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Ms A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

(1) Is there a limit on the number of fishing licences that can be issued per year; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) how many fishing licenses were issued (a) in (i) 2009, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2011, (iv) 2012 and (v) 2013 and (b) since 1 January 2014;

(3) what was the total income received from fishing licence fees (a) in (i) 2009, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2011, (iv) 2012 and (v) 2013 and (b) since 1 January 2014? NW3592E

REPLY:

(1) Yes. Licences are issued only to Right holding entities, and the limits vary per sector. In TAE controlled sectors, each right holder is issued one licence on the approved effort and in TAC controlled sectors, each right holder is issued a number of licences depending on the number of approved vessels to be employed when harvesting the right and each licence reflects the approved quantum not to be exceeded.

(2) The fishing licences issued were:

Year

Total

2009

4121

2010

3244

2011

4132

2012

3318

2013

2910

2014

3276

Total

21001

(3)(a) Revenue received from licences and permits since 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2014

Financial year

Revenue from Licences and Permits

R'000

2008/09

R27 928

2009/10

R33 167

2010/11

R32 838

2011/12

R35 141

2012/13

R37 825

2013/14

R33 764

(3)(b) Revenue from licences and permits for the 6 months ending 30 September 2014:

R11. 585 million

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2940

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Ms V van Dyk (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

(1) (a) How many farms did the Government make available for emerging farmers in the Kamiesberg Municipality, (b) what are the (i) names and (ii) farm numbers of each of the specified farms respectively and (c) where is this information listed;

(2) (a) what are the names of the farmers currently farming on this land, (b) who awarded these farms to the aforementioned farmers and (c) what criteria were used to determine who receives land for farming;

(3) (a) who is controlling the farming procedures to ensure that the land is not overgrazed, (b) what is the current state of the pastures, (c) how regularly is a report on these farms made available and (d) who combines these reports? NW3584E

REPLY:

  1. The farm allocation mandate resides within the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.
  1. See response above.
  1. The carrying capacity of grazing land should be measured to determine the livestock carrying capacity – that is the grazing land potential determines the number of livestock that could be managed profitably. Overstocking of sensitive grazing land will thus result in regression of grazing land and thus overgrazing. The latter negates sustainability or quality of animals reared in a given piece of land. In commonages, Land committees are in place and are supported by agricultural information officers to attain optimal outputs.

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2939

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Ms V van Dyk (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

(1) (a) How many farms did the Government make available for emerging farmers in the Nama Khoi Municipality, (b) what are the (i) names and (ii) farm numbers of each of the specified farms respectively and (c) where is this information listed;

(2) (a) what are the names of the farmers currently farming on this land, (b) who awarded these farms to the aforementioned farmers and (c) what criteria were used to determine who receives land for farming;

(3) (a) who is controlling the farming procedures to ensure that the land is not overgrazed, (b) what is the current state of the pastures, (c) how regularly is a report on these farms made available and (d) who combines these reports? NW3583E

REPLY:

  1. The farm allocation mandate resides within the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.
  1. See response above.
  1. The carrying capacity of grazing land should be measured to determine the livestock carrying capacity – that is the grazing land potential determines the number of livestock that could be managed profitably. Overstocking of sensitive grazing land will thus result in regression of grazing land and thus overgrazing. The latter negates sustainability or quality of animals reared in a given piece of land. In commonages, Land committees are in place and are supported by agricultural information officers to attain optimal outputs.

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2938

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Ms V van Dyk (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

With regard to the farms bought by the Government for emerging farmers in the Concordia commonage in the Nama Khoi Municipality, (a) what are the names of the farmers currently farming on the commonage, (b) who is controlling the number of sheep on the commonage and (c) what measures are in place to prevent (i) government officials or (ii) council members and their families from utilising this commonage? NW3582E

REPLY:

The purchase and provisioning of farms is not within mandate of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The following five farms were purchased through the Land Reform Programme, managed by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform:

The following farms were purchased through the Land Reform programme:

· Portion 1 of the farm Kweekfontein no. 73 (Sandputs),

· portion of the farm Kontorogab No. 72,

· portion 1 of Kabib No. 50,

· portion 1 Heiorgas No 49 (Kabib 2)

· Khoisabees Portion 2 No 47

  1. Find attached a list of names of farmers who are currently farming on the commonage
  1. The Commonage Committee has an oversight role it fulfils and it is applied by officials responsible for municipal law enforcement

c. (i) The Municipal Commonage Management Plan determines how and to

whom awards are made.

(ii) The same as above. As part of the extension of municipal

commonage.

THE NAMES OF FARMERS WHO ARE CURRENTLY FARMING ON THE COMMONAGE

SANDPUTS

Gerrie Van Wyk

D. Williams

Gawn Cloete

I Van Wyk

John Coetzee

Dennis August

Johannes August

Martin Van Wyk

A. Engelbrecht

Patrick August

KONTOROGAB

Bazil Cloete

Susan Van Neel

Anita Cloete

Johan Cloete

Johannes Neil

Michael Cloete

Kobus Engelbrecht

Gert Klaase

Calvin Rhodes

Kosie Engelbrecht

KABIB 1

Pieter Beukes

A. Rutledge

Johan Cloete

Dirk Cloete

Dawid Cloete

Josef Saal

Thomas Van Neel

Norman Van Neel

Nigan Van Neel

Shaun Cloete

Nicolaas Cloete

Charlotte Visser

KABIB 2

Jacobus Saal

Gerrie Saal

Patrick Saal

Nickholas Saal

Me Meagan Jonas

Jason Jonas

Herald Ruiters

Christo Bonn

Jan Cloete

Hilton Saal

Robin Van Wyk

W Van Wyk

KHOISABEES

Jacobus v.d.Heever

Mervin v.d. Heever

Gert v.d. Heever

Martin Bezuidenhout

P. Beukes

Dennis Coetzee

Pierre Saal

KABIS

Filemon Saal

John Cloete

Johannes Cloete

Assey Emke

Abraham Cloete

Kobus v.d. Heever

Davey v.d. Heever

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2917

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Ms Z Jongbloed (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

Has any research been conducted to determine the long-term effect that the minimum wage for farm workers has had on their quality of life; if not, why not; if so, (a) are farm workers in a better socio-economic position, (b) what are the details of any unforeseen consequences and (c) what is being done to counter these unforeseen consequences? NW3561E

REPLY:

DAFF has not conducted any research to determine the long-term effect of the minimum wage on the quality of life of the farm workers. However, DAFF is currently part of the ongoing study managed by the International Labour Organisation in partnership with Departments of Rural Development and Land Reform and Labour and Non-Government Organisations. The study is looking at farm workers livelihoods as it attempts, inter alia, to respond to the issues raised in the questions at hand.

Notwithstanding there are other studies conducted by various other Human Rights Organisations such as the Human Rights Watch which looks at the general working conditions of farm workers. For example in 2011, the Human Rights Watch produced a report on the living conditions of farm workers in the Western Cape. All in all the reports point to the fact that the current minimum wage of R105.00 a day will not go a long way towards improving the living conditions of farm workers in South Africa.

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2916

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Ms Z Jongbloed (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

What is his department's position on the proposed Marine Protection Area which will ban fishing in the (a) Ross Sea and (b) East Antarctic Waters? NW3560E

REPLY:

South Africa is a member of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), and supports the agreed processes of CCAMLR, including those agreed to for proposing and establishing Marine Protected Areas within the Convention area. DAFF therefore supports the position taken by the lead Department (Department of Environmental Affairs) on this matter.

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2915

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Ms Z Jongbloed (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

2915 In terms of the Marine Living Resources Act, Act 18 of 1998, does his department (a) maintain and (b) regularly update a list of all (i) licences issued to foreign vessels and (ii)(aa) rights, (bb) exemptions and (cc) permits issued; if not, why not; if so, (aaa) is the list available, (bbb) where can the list be accessed and (ccc) how often is the list updated? NW3559E

REPLY:

(a) Yes.

(b) Yes.

(aaa) Yes.

(bbb) The lists are available on request from the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries Customers Service Centre, Martin Hammerschlag Way, Foretrust Building, Foreshore, Cape Town.

(ccc) Daily.

South Africa is signatory to a number of Fisheries Regional Management Organizations' (FRMOs) which manage jointly the fisheries stocks in the Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) and beyond (High Seas). There are reporting obligations for each member country and one of which is to keep a record of the foreign vessels entering the EEZ/ or fishing species within our horizons. The overall aim is to monitor and ensure compliance in order to reduce Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities which is a threat to the sustainability of Fisheries and its management

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2801

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Dr C P Mulder (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:†

QUESTION:

(a) How many hectares of land are involved in the (i) Fetsa Tlala Integrated Food Production Initiative and (ii) Masibambisane Rural Development Initiative, (b) what monetary amount has been used for the respective schemes to date, (c) how many hectares of land in respect of each of the respective projects have been cultivated, (d) what was the yield per hectare for each of the respective projects, (e) what (i) profits have been made and (ii) losses have been suffered and (f) which projects are regarded as sustainable? NW2824E

REPLY:

  1. How many hectares of land are involved in the:
  2. Fetsa Tlala Food Production Initiative?

The Cabinet approved Fetsa Tlala Food Production Initiative (Fetsa Tlala) seeks to put 1 million hectares of under-utilized agricultural land in communal areas and land reform farms back to production for the period of 5 years, starting from the 2013/14 financial year to 2018/19 financial year.

  1. What monetary amount has been used for the respective schemes to date?

In the 2013/14 financial year, government invested a total of R803 million from the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP). In the 2014/15, an amount of R614 million has been budgeted by provinces for Fetsa Tlala. CASP and Ilima/Letsema remain the key funding delivery vehicles for Fetsa Tlala.

The Department for Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries has in the course of encouraging households to produce food partners and collaborates with a variety of existing entities which has to date ensured that food insecurity is halved in the country.

  1. How many hectares of land in respect of each of the respective projects have been cultivated?

After the launch of Fetsa Tlala in October 2013, just over 154 000 ha of fallow land were place under production in the 2013/14 season. For the 2014/15 planting season, Provinces have planned to plough and plant over 129 000 ha. Some of the provinces have already started planting, e.g. Free State = 1974 ha, KwaZulu-Natal = 1500 ha. The verification of sites for these hectares in the provinces is already underway.

  1. What was the yield per hectare for each of the respective projects?

The yields differ according to the rainfall (dry land) or irrigation, as well as the area under production. DAFF only coordinates what provinces implement and report on and as such this section of the question will be referred to provinces to respond.

  1. What:
  1. Profits have been made?

Detailed information is being collected and once verified will be forwarded to the Honourable Member.

  1. Losses have been suffered?

Detailed information is being collected and once verified will be forwarded to the Honourable Member.

iii) Which projects are regarded as sustainable?

Detailed information is being collected and once verified will be forwarded to the Honourable Member.

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2773

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Mr A G Whitfield (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

(1) Whether he received an invitation to the wedding of Vega Gupta and Aakash Jahajgarhia; if so,

(2) whether he attended any of the wedding festivities between 30 April and 3 May 2013; if so,

(3) whether he stayed overnight at the venue; if so, (a) what accommodation did he use, (b) who paid for the said accommodation, (c) what mode of transport did he use to attend the wedding festivities and (d) who paid for the travel costs? NW3425E

REPLY:

No, the Minister was not yet appointed as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, during the above mentioned period.

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2732

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

Did (a) his department and/or (b) any entities reporting to it owe money to any Gauteng municipalities at the end of the 2013-14 financial year; if so, in respect of each specified municipality (i) what is the name of the municipality, (ii) what was the total amount owed, (iii) what was the nature of the debt, (iv) for how long has the debt been outstanding and (v) what plans are in place to recover the debt owed to the municipality by (aa) his department and/or (bb) any entities reporting to it? NW3381E

REPLY:

No money is owed by the Department to any Gauteng municipalities as at the end of the 2013/14 financial year.

Reply received: December 2014

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION 2708

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Ms A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

(1) Is his department still processing applications for the subdivision of agricultural land; if so, (a) how many applications are still being processed, (b) when is it anticipated that all outstanding applications will be resolved, (c) what are the reasons for the long outstanding applications not being resolved and (d) what is his department doing to rectify the situation;

(2) with regard to his department's processing of applications for the subdivision of agricultural land, (a) how many applications were (i) received (aa) in the (aaa) 2009-10, (bbb) 2010-11, (ccc) 2011-12, (ddd) 2012-13 and (eee) 2013-14 financial years and (bb) from 1 April 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available and (ii) resolved in each year and (b) what is his department's time frame for the resolution of an application? NW3355E

REPLY:

1) Yes

(a) There are 957 applications still being processed.

(b) The department has the service level standard of 90 days to process the applications lodged in terms of Subdivision of Agricultural Land Act, Act 70 of 1970. In cases where there are outstanding documents, the service timeframes is dependent on the applicant response to provide correct documentation.

(c) The reasons for long outstanding applications stemmed from the following:

· Incomplete applications from the applicants and none compliance to respond to required information.

· Soils specialist reports from applicants.

· Consultation with relevant departments and/or municipalities.

(d) The department developed a checklist sheet to be considered by all applicants before the applications are being lodged. The department conduct awareness through provincial departments of agriculture to advice applicants on the applicable documents required to lodge the applicants. The department has a quarterly Intergovernmental Natural Resource Management Working Group Meeting that consider number of application received by both the Province and National.

2) (a) (i) (aa) & (ii) The number of applications received and resolved by the Department on the specified period are as follows:

Received (i)

2,8 66

(bb) From 1 April 2014 up to 31 October 2014 the department has received 1,183 applications and have finished 997.

(ii) Below are the applications resolved each financial year since 2009/10

Finalised (resolved)

(b) The department has the service level standard of 90 days to process the applications lodged in terms of Subdivision of Agricultural Land Act, Act 70 of 1970. In cases where there are outstanding documents, the service timeframes is dependent on the applicant response to provide correct documentation.

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2595

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Dr M J Figg (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

What amount has his department spent on promotional magazines in the (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14 financial years? NW3233E

REPLY:

  1. 2011-12:

Sawubona magazine – R96 900.00

The Thinker magazine – R68 365.00

The Correspondent magazine (international magazine) – R510 000.00

Total: R675 265.00

  1. 2012-13:

The guide to business and investment (9 provinces) – R 172 824.00

Total: R172 824.00

  1. 2013-14:

The Thinker magazine – R39 888.00

Leadership magazine – R205 200.00

Financial Mail – R58 105.00

Finweek – R54 760.00

Total: R357 953

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION 2451

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Ms A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

How many work days has his department lost to (a) sick leave and (b) strike action in the (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14 financial years? NW3044E

REPLY:

1 (i)(a) 30 696

(i)(b) 26 852

(i)(c) 37 664

1 (ii)(a)(b)(c) – no working days were lost because employees did not participate in strike actions during 2011/2012, 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 financial years.

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION 2418

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Ms Z Jongbloed (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

(a) What was the total remuneration of (i) board members, (ii) nonexecutive directors and (iii) executive directors of each entity reporting to him in the (aa) 2011-12, (bb) 2012-13 and (cc) 2013-14 financial years and (b) how many times did each board meet in the specified financial years? NW3010E

REPLY:

The information requested for the years in question is available in Annual Reports and thus publically available.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION 2275/ NW2825E

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Adv A de W Alberts (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

(1) Whether Government is meeting its legal obligation by being involved with fire associations; if not, why not; if so, (a) how many fire associations are registered countrywide, (b) what is the budget for the fire associations, (c) which fire associations do the different government departments belong to and (d) whether their subscriptions are paid up;

(2) which local authorities have an emergency management plan for managing veld fires in particular;

(3) what percentage of all state land, including restitution land owned by the state, undertakes fire-break preparation;

(4) whether the occupants and managers of state land are properly trained to control fires and to use and maintain equipment correctly; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2825E

REPLY:

(1) The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) has registered 267 Fire Protection Associations (FPAs), of which 248 (93%) are in high and extremely high veldfire risk areas of the country. Furthermore, the DAFF has, in terms of Section 4(10), recognised 9(nine) Provincial Umbrellas and 5(five) District Municipal Umbrella FPAs to align FPA configuration with Provincial and municipal Disaster Management Centres. See table below.

REGISTERED FPA (UPDATED: MARCH 2014)

PROVINCE

2009/10

2010/11

2011/12

2012/13

2013/14

TO DATE

FPAs

FPAs

FPAs

FPAs

FPAs

Eastern Cape

34

2

13

5

2

56

Free State

58

1

1

0

0

60

Gauteng

18

3

1

0

1

23

KwaZulu Natal

15

3

2

2

2

24

Limpopo

20

2

1

2

0

25

Mpumalanga

10

2

0

1

0

13

North West

12

4

2

2

0

20

Northern Cape

11

3

3

1

1

19

Western Cape

18

4

4

1

0

27

TOTAL

196

24

27

14

6

267

TOTAL

196

220

247

261

267

(b) Currently the Department has not made a provision for financial assistance to FPAs. In terms of Section 7 of the National Veld and Forest Fire Act, 1998 (Act No.101 of 1998) (NVFFA), the Minister is under no obligation to make budget available for FPAs. The Act says the Minister may give a loan, grant or other forms assistance to any FPA for any of its activities. DAFF has during the past few years, assisted FPAs to train their members and a total cost of that training was R1 745 281.60. The training took place in 2009/10 and during that financial year 145 FPA members were trained. Furthermore, in 2011/12 more assistance was given to FPA since 280 members were trained. It must be noted however, that government through the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and the Working on Fire Programme, has made available an annual budget of R6.35m to assist these FPAs. DAFF is fully aware that it is the custodian of the FPAs, and to that extent, a draft strategy to support FPAs has been developed.

(c) Information regarding membership of FPAs (including land owned and managed by government Departments) is kept in the registers of FPAs. DAFF does not have a legal mandate to keep the database of landowners who belong to FPAs. DAFF engages on a continuous basis with different government Departments and State landowners to comply with the provisions of the Act by acquiring FPA membership among others. To date, all government Departments which own and manage land have been issued with letters to remind them of their obligation to comply with the provisions of the Act.

(d) Information regarding membership of FPAs is kept in the register. FPAs are responsible for monitoring payments of levies and annual subscriptions of their members. They also make decisions as to what action is to be taken against members who do not pay their fees as expected.

(2) All emergency management plans for all hazards are coordinated and implemented at local government level. Accordingly, information regarding emergency management plans (including veldfires) is in terms of Schedule 4 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act, 1996 (Act No. 108 of 1996) and Section 53 of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002), a legal mandate of the Department of Cooperate Governance (DCoG) through municipalities. Such plans are monitored by DCoG and this information can be sourced from that Department. In the interest of cooperative governance, DAFF is represented and is participating in the National Disaster Management Advisory Forum where issues of veldfire management are discussed with representatives of local goverment.

(3) DAFF does not have a legal mandate of keeping data and statistics of FPA membership. Data and statistics regarding membership of FPAs is an operational matter and is kept in the register of the FPAs. If consulted, FPAs may be willing to share this information with any third party. Similarly, in terms of Section 6(1)(g) of the National Veld and Forest Fire Act, 1998 (Act No.101 of 1998) (NVFFA), it is the responsibility of the FPAs through the Fire Protection Officer (FPO) to frequently inspect the land of their members and ensure that they are complying with their duties including that of making firebreaks. DAFF only has a legal mandate to ensure that each FPA has a registered and competent FPO.

(4) The NVFFA in Section 4(8), obliges all State landowners to join the FPAs. Furthermore Section 5(1)(f),(g)and(h) states that FPAs must train their members (including occupants and managers of State land). It is important to note that during FPA audits conducted by DAFF, it was found that some FPAs need assistance with regard to training of its members on veldfire management issues. DAFF has been given a discretionary grant of R740 000 by Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Sectoral Education and Training Authority (SETA) to train 100 Forestry employees during November and December 2014. To further improve the capacity of FPAs to be competent in dealing with veldfire matters, DAFF has also developed a draft strategy.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION 2247/ NW2793E

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

Mr A G Whitfield (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

QUESTION:

(1) What are the details of the public participation process for the Algoa Bay Fish Farm with regard to (a) attendance, (b) dates of public participation meetings, (c) total number of public participation meetings and (d) names of key stakeholders who were engaged;

(2) was a study conducted on the economic impact of the Algoa Bay Fish Farm on (a) tourism and (b) other industries in Nelson Mandela Bay;

(3) have investors for the Algoa Bay Fish Farm been secured; if so, (a) who are each of these investors and (b) what is the total cost of this investment? NW2793E

REPLY:

1) It should be noted that the title of the development is not the "Algoa Bay fish farm", it is in fact a Sea-based Aquaculture Development Zone (ADZ) for Algoa Bay. The Department is currently in the process of creating an enabling environment to develop the aquaculture sector in South Africa. This project is one such initiative.

In terms of the Public Participation Process,

· Advertisements were placed in local newspapers (The Herald and Die Burger Oos-Kaap) on Friday 9th December 2011 and national newspapers (The Sunday Times and Die Rapport) on Sunday 11th December 2011, calling for stakeholders to register as Interested & Affected Parties (I&APs), as well as to review and comment on the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). A comment period from 9th December 2011 to 28 January 2012 was provided.

· All relevant State Departments, key stakeholders and registered I&APs were also sent notifications of the availability of the Draft Scoping Report via email, fax or post and requested to provide comment on or before 12th April 2012;

· Advertisements were placed in local newspapers (The Herald and Die Burger Oos-Kaap) on Thursday 1st March 2012, calling for stakeholders to review and comment on the Draft Scoping Report during a period of 40-days (starting Thursday 1st March and ending Thursday 12th April 2012).

· The advert also provided the details for a Public Meeting to be held on Thursday 14th March 2012 at the Newton Park Library in Port Elizabeth;

· During that period, hard copies of the Draft Scoping Report (DSR) were placed at the Humansdorp Library, Jeffrey's Bay Library, Kouga Municipal Office, Port Elizabeth City Public Library and the Newton Park Library, to inform the public of the proposal and EIA process, and invite them to register as a stakeholders and provide comment (from Thursday 1st March 2012). The DSR was also made available on the Cape EAPrac website: www.cape-eaprac.co.za/active;

· A Stakeholder Register was opened and the details of all registered stakeholders entered for future correspondence. The register was updated throughout the remainder of the process;

· A Comments and Responses table was compiled and updated throughout the remainder of the process. The table was included in Appendix D, Annexure D3;

· An introductory meeting was held with the provincial Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism on the 21st February 2012. The Department wasincluded as a key stakeholder in this Public Participation Process and a representative attended the Public Workshop;

· An Open House meeting was held on 14th March 2012 for registered Stakeholders and members of the public to discuss the proposal.

· Follow-up focus group meetings were scheduled with the TNPA and the Yacht Club for 20 April 2012, however these were rescheduled for 9 May 2012 at TNPAs request and the outcome of the meetings were incorporated into the FSR submitted to the Department for decision-making.

· The Final Scoping Report (FSR) was available to all registered I&APs for comment for a period of 21 days from 25th April to 17th May 2012;

· All relevant State Departments, key stakeholders and registered I&APs were sent notifications of the availability of the Amended Final Scoping Report (AFSR) via email to review and provide comment during a period of 21-days (starting Monday 10th September and ending Tuesday 2nd October 2012);

· The Amended FSR was submitted to DEA for decision making once the additional review period (10 September 2012 – 2 October 2012) was completed. The AFSR was accepted by DEA on 7 November 2012 and this office was instructed to continue to the Impact Assessment phase;

· The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) was submitted for public comment for a period of 40 days from Wednesday 15th May to Monday 24th June 2013. During this period several comments were received from user groups. These are included in Appendix C.

· An Open Day Presentation was held on Monday 3rd June 2013 at the Algoa Bay Yacht Club in the Port Elizabeth harbour to provide I&APs the opportunity to discuss any concerns or issues directly with the project team. Copies of the minutes are included in Appendix C.

· All registered I&APs were notified of the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR). The FEIR was available for comment for a period of 21 days from 31th July to 22th August 2013.

· Hard copies of the FEIR were placed at the Humansdorp Library, Jeffrey's Bay Library, Kouga Municipal Office, Port Elizabeth City Public Library (Govan Mbeki) and the Algoa Bay Yacht Club, to inform the public of the proposal and EIA process, (from 31th July 2013). The FEIR was also made available on the Cape EAPrac website: www.cape-eaprac.co.za.

(a) Attendance

· 14 March 2012 – 14 pax attended.

· 9th May 2012 – TNPA – 11 pax attended.

· 9th May 2012 – Yacht Club – 5 pax attended.

· 3rd June 2013 – Yacht Club – 27 pax attended.

(b) Dates of Public Participation

  • 21 February 2012 Introductory meeting with provincial Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism
  • 14 march 2012 Open House
  • 3 June 2013 Open Day Presentation was held at the Algoa Bay Yacht Club in PE harbour to provide I&AP's the opportunity to discuss any concerns or issues directly with the project team
  • 9 May 2012 Follow up focus group meetings with TNPA and the Yacht club
  • 27 November 2013 Focus group meeting with authorities between Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Nelson Mandela Metropol Municipality and the DAFF
  • (c) Total number of Public Participation meetings

    Total number of meeting is 4 over and above availability of all documents and information in other formats.

    (d) Names of Key stakeholders who were engaged

    · Department Economic Development and Environmental Affairs (Eastern Cape)

    · Department of Environmental Affairs: Oceans & Coasts

    · South African Environmental Observation Network

    · Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality

    · Wildlife and Environmental Society South Africa

    · Eastern Cape Development Corporation

    · Cape Nature

    · World Wildlife Fund

    · Transnet National Ports Authority

    · Birdlife South Africa

    · Endangered Wildlife trust

    · Kouga Local Municipality

    · Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Beach manager

    · South African Institute Aquatic Biodiversity

    · South African National Parks

    · Raggy Charters

    · South African National Parks

    · Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

    · Port Elizabeth Deep sea Angling Club

    · Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries

    · Bitou Municipality

    · Oceanographic Research Institute

    · The Institute fir Maritime Technology

    · Eastern Cape Provincial Heritage Resources Authority

    · South African Squid Management Industrial Association

    · South African National Biodiversity Institute

    · Algoa Bay Yacht Club

    · Sundays River Ratepayers Association

    · Pro Dive South Africa

    · Overstrand Municipality

    · Coega Industrial Development Zone

    · South African Heritage Resource Agency

    · Kromme-Geelhout Conservancy

    2) Yes. A Socio-economic assessment was conducted as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process. In this assessment user conflict is assessed for specialist tourism and recreational activities (i.e. sporting activities, scuba diving, whale watching, recreational fishing, sailing etc.) with the impact significance being regarded as medium with mitigation.

    The key impacts that were accessed in the Socio-economic assessment were:

    · Specialist tourism and recreational activities

    · Real Estate values

    · Impacts on local fishing industry

    · Provision of goods and services by local businesses

    · Land based infrastructure

    · Pollution of marine environment

    · Marine Protected Areas

    · Existing marine aquaculture activities

    · Contribution to National food security

    · Contribution to Gross Domestic Product

    · New employment opportunities

    · Skills development

    · Small business, individual and informal sector development

    · Local community development.

    The Marine specialist report further accessed the user conflicts namely:

    · Safety of recreational water sport participants

    · Impacts on recreational SCUBA divers

    · Impacts on yacht sailing and recreational boat anglers

    · Impacts on commercial squid and long line fisheries

    · Impact on conservation objective – declaration, functioning and management of the proposed Addo Elephant Marine Protected Area.

    3) In the event that final authorisation for the Aquaculture Development Zone is granted by the Department of Environmental Affairs, then the Department (i.e. DAFF) will, in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry, develop a marketing strategy and initiatives to get investment for the Aquaculture Development Zone. So thus far, there are no investors formally listed.

    Reply received: November 2014

    QUESTION 2026/ NW2488E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Mr M L W Filtane (UDM) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION:

    (1) Whether, in view of provinces that are rural in nature and whose economies depend to a large extent on agriculture, any reconsideration has been given to make agriculture the competency of the local sphere of government; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

    (2) what steps does his department intend to take to ensure that the local sphere of government plays a maximum role in local economic development through agriculture? NW2488E

    REPLY:

    1. The reality is that agriculture is not the competency of the local sphere of government. This is evident as supported by the prescripts of the Constitution of South Africa on Schedule 4, Part A which clearly outlines that agriculture is one of the key functional areas of Concurrent National and Provincial legislative competence.

    1. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) in all the three spheres of government has its footprint at the local sphere through its Agricultural local offices situated in all District Municipalities and eight (8) Metropolitan Municipalities. The local offices operate under the custodianship of Provincial Departments of Agriculture (PDA) as agriculture is a concurrent function. These agricultural local offices participate in the development of Industrial Development Plans (IDPS), where agriculture features prominently as a local economic development driver.

    Reply received: October 2014

    QUESTION 1881 / NW2263E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Mr M L W Filtane (UDM) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) Whether his department has any plans to take advantage of the rain that has fallen in the Eastern Cape recently and its positive spin-offs for the cultivation of arable land; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of the plans;

    (2) whether his department has any plans to address (a) the situation of wattle trees that cover large portions of land in the Eastern Cape and (b) the devastating consequences that situation has in respect of (i) water retention, (ii) increased exposure to criminal activities and (iii) cultivation of arable land; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of these plans? NW2263E

    REPLY TO QUESTION 1

    The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) in consultation with Provincial Departments of Agriculture, including Eastern Cape, developed the 2014/15 Fetsa Tlala Plan to be implemented this production season. DAFF is currently embarking on a Road-show visiting provinces as part of assessing the State of Readiness for the current planting season. To this end a meeting of senior officials from DAFF led by the Deputy Director-General was convened on the 7th October 2014 with the Provincial Department in Eastern Cape to assess their state of readiness.

    The Department welcomes the showers received in the Eastern Cape, as this provides a window of opportunity for the Provincial Department to begin in earnest with the implementation of the Fetsa Tlala Plan. In this regard a total of approximately 17 000 ha has been committed by the Provincial Department to be delivered in the current production season. The table below provides the disaggregation of planed areas for cultivation at a district level.

    DISTRICT

    TOTAL HECTARES PLANNED

    ALFRED NZO

    4 230 ha

    AMATHOLE AND BCMM

    3 118 ha

    CACADU AND NMBM

    1 615 ha

    CHRIS HANI

    2 586 ha

    JOE GQABI

    1 143 ha

    OR TAMBO

    4 308 ha

    Total

    17 000

    REPLY TO QUESTION 2

    (a) Yes, my department has plans to address the infestation by wattle trees that cover large portions of land in the Eastern Cape. The control of wattle infestation is regulated in terms of the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, 1983 (Act No. 43 of 1983) hereinafter referred to as CARA. Furthermore, officials of the department render advice relating to the utilization and conservation of agricultural resources on an on-going basis in accordance with the objects of this Act.

    (b) The consequences of large stands of wattle are addressed through relevant sections of the CARA in order to maintain the production potential of agricultural land by combating and preventing impacts of the following types of degradation erosion, depletion of water sources, weeds and invader plants.

    (i) Regulation 6 and 7 of the Act make provision for measures to deal with issues relating to water sources, vlei and marshes for purposes of water retention. These measures are implemented through the WaterCare focus area of the community based LandCare programme being implemented in the Eastern Cape and other provinces.

    (ii) The formulation of Conservation Committees in terms of CARA allows for collaboration between different stakeholders in an area concerned in order to achieve the objects of the Act. Additionally, should there be increased exposure of criminal activities associated with wattle trees which declared category two invader plants, the local police officers may serve in the local Conservation Committee to take charge of law enforcement. My department is also working jointly with the Working for Water Programme of the Department of Environmental Affairs which assists in clearing black wattle especially in catchment areas. After clearing, officials of my department issue directives and conduct follow up inspections to maintain the affected areas. Furthermore education and awareness programmes are conducted by my department's Resource Auditors in collaboration with officials of the Provincial Departments of Agriculture (PDAs) to ensure that community members are aware of the impact of declared weeds and invader plants on their land and to their livelihoods.

    (iii) Yes, the Department has plans to cultivate arable land in the Eastern Cape, especially because the Province is endowed with good arable land. The plan is part of the Fetsa-Tlala Programme under Food Security and Agrarian Reform where 17 000 hectares are planned for cultivation in the current financial year.

    Reply received: October 2014

    QUESTION 1743 / NW2109E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

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

    QUESTION

    Whether his department had taken any steps during the period 1 June 2009 to 1 June 2014 to mitigate the negative impacts of the (a) pollution of rivers and the two oceans surrounding South Africa, (b) destruction of fish habitat and spawning grounds, (c) overexploitation of any species, (d) climate change and (e) inadequate surveys and monitoring of wild fish stocks of all description within South African waters; if not, why not; if so, (i) what has been the outcome of the intervention and (ii) what is the situation with wild fish stocks in South African waters as at 1 July 2014? NW2109E

    REPLY

    (a) Since 2010 the mandate for managing and controlling pollution rests with the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) rather than with DAFF.

    (b) The most widely used tools to mitigate against destruction of fish habitat and spawning grounds are the implementation of closed areas. As above, the primary mandate for protected areas has rested with DEA rather than with DAFF since 2010. Short-term closure of fish spawning grounds to fishing has been implemented by DAFF as appropriate in order to protect spawning stock.

    (c) Mitigation against overexploitation is one of the primary functions of DAFF. To this end, annual monitoring of the status of the resources is carried out across 22 fisheries sectors, and sustainable catch limits are set for each coming fishing season. Where the status of fish stocks is lower than desired for optimal harvesting, recovery plans have been put in place in order to grow these resources. Enforcement of the MLRA and its regulations to ensure that harvesting is within the determined sustainable limits is an ongoing activity of DAFF.

    (d) Operational Management Procedures that have been in place during this time include provision for possible effects of climate change on fish stocks. These Management Procedures are able to adapt to the effects of climate change on fish reproduction, recruitment to the fishery, alterations in food availability, fluctuations in stock size and fish growth.

    (e) All critical surveys have continued to be conducted.

    (i) The perception of the status of three fish stocks has deteriorated slightly in the last two years. Two of these are yellow fin and big eye tunas in the Indian Ocean, which are not managed on a national basis by DAFF, but are fished on the high seas by many nations and are managed by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission. The status of squid has also deteriorated somewhat over this time, and this is attributed to a natural fluctuation in reproduction and recruitment in response to recent environmental anomalies on the South Coast of the country. In contrast, the status of nine stocks has improved over the past two years. These include deep-water hake, anchovy, Hottentot sea bream, carpenter, slinger, line-caught yellowtail, Indian Ocean swordfish, and both Atlantic and Indian Ocean albacore. [Note that this information is contained in the 'Overview' section of the latest Status of Marine Fisheries Resources Report, which has not yet been made public].

    (ii) See the information in (i)

    Reply received: October 2014

    QUESTION 1625 / NW1986E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Ms A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (a) Which posts in his department are vacant in the (i) highly skilled, (ii) highly skilled supervision and (iii) senior and top management levels and (b) in each case, what has been the duration of the vacancy? NW1986E

    REPLY

    All vacancies are in a process of being filled. Cases where interviews were held and candidates nominated constitutes approximately 30% of these vacancies.

    (a)(i) Highly skilled levels: see the link http://www.pmg.org.za/rnw1625-141010post

    Reply received: October 2014

    QUESTION 1598 / NW1715E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

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

    QUESTION

    Whether his department intends to adopt a 21st century approach to agriculture in which a department of agriculture is seen as obsolete and to be replaced expeditiously with a Ministry of Food; if not, why not; if so, will he make a statement on this matter? NW1715E

    REPLY

    No: the configuration of the NATIONAL Ministries and their naming is the

    responsibility of the Presidency with the support of the Department of Public Service

    and Administration.

    Reply received: September 2014

    QUESTION 1527 / NW1897E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Ms A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) What is the current trade agreement with Namibia regarding trade in livestock;

    (2) have these agreements been subjected to any changes in the (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14 financial years; if so, (i) when were any changes made, (ii) by whom were these changes made and (iii) what consultations took place with the South African industries;

    (3) was an investigation lodged into the changes to the trade agreements; if so, (a) by whom and (b) what was the outcome of the investigation? NW1897E

    REPLY

    (1) What is the current trade agreement with Namibia regarding trade in livestock;

    Trade between South Africa and Namibia takes place on the basis of the Southern African Customs Union Agreement. In terms of the agreements products originating in Namibia can be traded with South Africa with no import tariff being applicable on the imports. However, the Agreement does make provision for a Member of the Customs Union to apply Sanitary and Phytosanitary measure on trade between the Members of the SACU (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and South Africa) in line with what is allowed in terms of the World Trade Organization's Agreement on the Implementation of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. It is thus not the agreement as such that has been changed but the requirements regarding sanitary matters that have been changed towards Namibia. The amendment of the requirements was done in a process of harmonizing the requirements to be identical towards all the members of the SACU." The proposed changes were made after discussions with Namibia and the agreed upon date of implementation to be 1st January 2014. This date was subsequently amended to be 1st of May 2014 to give the Department sufficient time to consult other stakeholders.

    (2) have these agreements been subjected to any changes in the (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14 financial years; if so, (i) when were any changes made, (ii) by whom were these changes made and (iii) what consultations took place with the South African industries;

    In terms of the SACU Agreement, Members of the Customs Union have the right to implement marketing arrangements with regard to agriculture products. This however, should be done in terms of specific rules as outlined in the SACU agreement that include consultation and informing Member Countries. On the contrary, Namibia has unilaterally implemented a marketing arrangement that restricts trade in beef cattle between Namibia and South Africa. However, this marketing arrangement is changed by Namibia when it is needed, for example in times of drought the measure is made more lenient and even discarded totally. This created uncertainty regarding trade in beef cattle between the two countries and also led to flooding of the South African market at certain time that has a negative effect on the domestic prices.

    In a process to also align import requirements for livestock from SACU member states and after lengthy discussions with the Veterinary Services of Namibia, the DAFF saw it fit to amend sanitary requirements for importation of livestock from Namibia. The new import

    Reply received: September 2014

    QUESTION 1505 / NW1871E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Adv H C Schimdt (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    Whether (a) his department and/or (b) any entities reporting to him sponsored political party (i) advertisements, (ii) events and/or (iii) paraphernalia in the (aa) 2011-12, (bb) 2012-13 and (cc) 2013-14 financial years; if so, (aaa) for which political party and (bbb) what was the monetary value of the sponsorship in each case? NW1871E

    REPLY

    The Department has not sponsored any political party.

    Reply received: September 2014

    QUESTION 1472 / NW1838E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Mr G G Hill-Lewis (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    What is the quantum of funds spent by his department on all advertising for each financial year between 1 April 2010 up to the latest specified date for which information is available? NW1838E

    REPLY

    QUESTION 1472 FOR WRITTEN REPLY TO MR G G HILL-LEWIS (DA) ASKED TO THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES

    Financial year

    R'000

    2010/11

    13 630

    2011/12

    14 804

    2012/13

    19 153

    2013/14

    22 189

    2014/15 (31/08/2014)

    6 131

    Reply received: September 2014

    QUESTION 1440 / NW1805E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    DR A LOTRIET (DA) ASKED TO THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES

    QUESTION

    (a) Which travel agents has his Office used during the period 1 April 2012 up to the latest specified date for which information is available and (b) what is the quantum of funds spent with each of the specified travel agents in the specified period? NW1805E

    REPLY

    Name of the Travel agent

    Date

    Amount

    Travel With Flair

    01 April 2012 – 31 August 2013

    R 226 482 599

    Duma Travel

    01 September 2013 – 31 March 2014

    R 49 695 793

    Duma Travel

    01 April 2014 – 31 August 2014

    R 37 791 684

    Note: The amount paid to the travel agent includes the management fee that the agent charges DAFF. For Travel with Flair it was 5.67% and for Duma it is 4%.

    Reply received: September 2014

    QUESTION 1347 / NW1681E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Mr B D Joseph (EFF) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) With reference to land capability as reflected in the Fetsa Tlala Food Production Initiative (details furnished), what (a) is the percentage of arable land for agricultural purpose that has been transferred to coloureds, blacks and Indians since 1994 and (b) challenges is the specified province experiencing in terms of demarcation;

    (2) what assistance is his department providing to aspirant small-scale farmers to ensure that they become farmers of note through the Fetsa Tlala Food Production Initiative? NO1681E

    REPLY

    1) What is the percentage of arable land for agricultural purposes that has been transferred to coloureds, blacks and Indians since 1994;

    The Fetsa Tlala Food Production Initiative document shows land capability which the Department has mapped for the purpose of determining production potential of the areas. The percentages of arable land for agricultural purposes that has been transferred to the previously disadvantage is the mandate of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' Constitutional mandate covers the agriculture, forestry and fisheries value chains: from inputs, production and value adding up to retailing. The Department therefore request that the Honourable member address the question to the relevant Ministry to get accurate responses.

    1. (b) Challenges is the specified province experiencing in terms of demarcation

    The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform deal with this issue and the impact demarcation has on the land ownership. Therefore, this Department is best placed to provide the credible reply to this portion of the question.

    2. What assistance is his department providing to aspirant small-scale farmers to ensure that they become farmers of note through the Fetsa Tlala Food Production Initiative?

    The Department, through Fetsa Tlala Food Production Initiative, provides a range of services to ensure the development of subsistence and smallholder farmers. The Initiative rests on the following pillars aimed at facilitating the development of the subsistence and smallholder farmers, namely:

    Mechanisation support: in most cases, subsistence and smallholder farmers' ownership of mechanisation is not cost–effective due to the scale of their operations. The Department provides the traction required to ensure that underutilised communal and land reform land is productive.

    Production inputs and infrastructure: through the Initiative, the Department will support subsistence and smallholder producers with production inputs, including but not limited to seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides and seedlings for crop production.

    Market access: To unlock the market access challenges the Department through the approved National Policy will advocate for an intensified Government Food Purchase programme. The intention will be to reprioritise Government procurement of food through its feeding programmes to facilitate market access to black food producers. These programmes include the Department of Basic Education National School Nutrition Programme, the Department of Correctional Services, the Department of Health, etc.

    Capacity building: All farmers participating will be subjected to some capacity building; either training or mentorship which will be based on needs assessment per farmer category.

    Furthermore the Department has identified fundamental constraints inhibiting producer's growth and development. To this end the Department developed and implemented the Micro Agricultural Finance Institutions of South Africa (MAFISA) to avail affordable production loans to black farmers.

    Reply received: September 2014

    QUESTION 1216/NW1454E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Dr P W A Mulder (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) Whether any barrages have been constructed with relief funds in areas in the Northern Cape that have suffered damages through flooding; if not, (a) why not and (b) when will the barrages be constructed; if so, (i) where were the barrages constructed and (ii) what did the costs of constructing the barrages amount to;

    (2) whether the barrages have been completed; if not, (a) why have they not been completed and (b) when will the barrage be completed;

    (3) whether the contractors of the incomplete barrages have been paid; if so, what did the costs amount to? NW1454E

    REPLY

    (1) No barrages have been constructed with the Flood Scheme Funds in areas that have suffered damages through flooding. (a) the barrages have not been constructed since no barrages were affected by the floods as per the floods assessment conducted by Northern Cape Provincial Department of Agriculture, DAFF and stakeholders as well as the verification of damages conducted by the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC). The understanding and definition of a barrage is an artificial obstruction in a watercourse to increase the depth of the water to facilitate irrigation. The question was also sent to the province and confirmation has been received that no barrages have been constructed. (b) No barrages will be constructed as per the reasons indicated in item (a) above. (i) No barrages were constructed. (ii) Not applicable.

    (2) Not applicable. No barrages have been constructed. (a) Not applicable. (b) Not applicable.

    (3) Not applicable. No barrages have been constructed.

    Reply received: September 2014

    QUESTION 1176 / NW1414E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Ms A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) Whether (a) he and (b) the Deputy Minister has each employed a ministerial special advisor; if so,

    (2) (a) what is the name of the special advisor, (b) when was the advisor appointed, (c) what are the duties of the advisor, (d) at what post level was the appointment made, (e) what is the salary level of the advisor, (f) what is the duration of the employment contract entered into with the advisor and (g) why was it necessary to appoint the advisor? NW1414E

    REPLY

    The appointment of Special Advisers to Executive Authorities is regulated by Section 12A of the Public Service Act, 1994 and the dispensation (compensation levels as approved by Cabinet) are determined by the Minister for the Public Service and Administration after the Executive Authority has submitted proposals/ recommendations in this regard.

    The duration of the contract are agreed upon and limited to the term of the political principal.

    Mr A Dietrich and Mr J Thibedi acts in an advisory capacity and were appointed as special advisors in terms of the Public Service Act (Section 12A(1):

  • To advise the Executive Authority on the exercise and performance of the Executive Authority's powers and duties;
  • To advise the Executive Authority on the development of policy that will promote the relevant department's objectives; or
  • To perform such other tasks as may be appropriate in respect of the Executive authority's powers and duties.
  • Reply received: September 2014

    QUESTION 1156 / NW1394E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) Is the ban on diving that came into effect in 2008, still in place; if so, (a) in which areas and (b) what are the reasons, given the conditional lifting of the ban on abalone fishing;

    (2) is shore-based recreational diving allowed in the area between Gansbaai and Quoin Point in the Western Cape; if not, why not;

    (3) have any studies been undertaken to determine the impact of a diving ban on abalone poaching; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant findings? NW1394E

    REPLY

    (1) Yes, the diving ban is still in place.

    (a) (i). Bird Island Marine Protected Area as declared in Notice No. 696, Gazette No. 26432 of 4 June 2004;

    (ii). Quoin Point to Danger Point (from the west bank of the Ratel River along the coast to the end of Gansbaai Harbour's West Breakwater (34 degree 35'.12 S; 19 degree 20'.45 E), extending 2 nautical miles seaward from the high watermark). At Gansbaai Breakwater the seaward direction shall be taken as westward; at the Ratel River southward;

    (iii). Dyer Island extending 1 nautical mile from the high watermark;

    (iv) Venus Pool to Cape Point and from Cape Point to Olifantsbospunt (extending 2 nautical miles seaward from the high watermark) but excluding Bellows Rock (34 degree 23.35' S; 18 degree 29'.44 E; and the area within 300m radius from it.) At Venus Pool and Olifantsbospunt the seaward direction shall be taken as eastwards and westwards respectively. Co-ordinates for Venus Pool and Olifantsbospunt are respectively: 34 degree 17'.744 S; 018 degree 28'.020E and 34 degree16'.30 S; 18 degree 22'.822 E

    (v). Robben Island, extending 1 nautical mile from the high watermark and

    (b) Reasons, given the conditional lifting of the ban on abalone fishing; Only the commercial abalone fishery has opened. The objectives of the Regulations for the Protection of Wild Abalone (Haliotis) are to establish measures for the protection of wild Abalone (Haliotis) and to promote the recovery and rebuilding of the wild abalone resource.

    (2) No recreational diving is allowed in the area between Gansbaai and Quoin Point to establish measures for the protection of wild Abalone (Haliotis) and to promote the recovery and rebuilding of the wild abalone resource.

    (3) No.

    Reply received: September 2014

    QUESTION 1135 / NW1373E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Ms Z Jongbloed (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) Whether, with regard to the SA Commercial Line-fish Association's review application currently before the Western Cape High Court, he will approach the Court for an order to set aside the Fishing Rights Allocation Process 2013 (FRAP 2013); if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

    (2) to ensure that the 2015 fishing rights will not suffer the same fate as the FRAP 2013 and the abalone fishing rights allocation process, what (a) processes are currently being put in place and (b) budget is available for these processes? NW1373E

    REPLY

    1. The South African Commercial Line-fish Association (SACLA) matter is currently before court and therefore cannot be commented on at this time.

    (2) (a) The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Branch: Fisheries Management is currently designing a rights allocation process that will address the challenges experienced in the 2013 rights allocation processes. The Department is committed to granting orderly access to, and sustainable use of marine living resources in South Africa, and measures are put in place incorporating the lessons learned from two previous processes of 2005/6 and 2013. An announcement in this regard will be made by the Department.

    (b) Yes. Provision will be made to ensure that the necessary budget is available to conduct the rights allocation processes.

    Reply received: September 2014

    QUESTION 1134 / NW1372E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Ms Z Jongbloed (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) Has the damage to the Africana research vessel had any effect on the monitoring and research of fisheries stock; if not, why not; if so, what (a) are the relevant details and (b) is being done to replace the service rendered by the Africana;

    (2) why was the Africana not put back to sea in September 2013;

    (3) what will be the estimated cost to (a) replace or (b) repair the Africana;

    (4) will the Africana be replaced; if so, (a) when will the process start and (b) is there a budget for this; if not, why not? NW1372E

    REPLY

    (1()a) The unavailability of the Africana has had the following three effects on the monitoring and research of fisheries stocks:

    (i) Monitoring of fisheries stocks relies on comparisons between survey results across years keeping certain variables constant such as vessel factors. Using different vessels, with different power, etc., may result in survey results from year to year not being directly comparable. This can be dealt with by performing cross-calibration, such as by doing parallel surveys on two vessels at the same time, so that the differences between the results using the two vessels can be gauged. Such a calibration will be done when the Africana is available.

    (ii) The second effect is the lack of surveys directed at monitoring and assessing particular resources, such as surveys for sole and horse mackerel.

    (iii) The third effect comes about as commercial vessels do not have infrastructure for deploying specialist scientific equipment for environmental monitoring. Such information is usually collected from the Africana at the same time as the resource surveys.

    (1)(b) While the Africana has been unavailable, critical surveys have been conducted on commercial fishing vessels. In this regard, the Department is currently busy with the computations necessary to calculate the impact of the unavailability of the Africana on the catch limits (Total Allowable Catch) for hake.

    (2) The RS Africana is a 32 year old diesel-electric vessel. The vessel was specifically built as a Research Platform for Oceanographic and Biological work. Many of the systems on-board where specifically designed and made for the vessel and parts and expertise are not readily available. This had hampered progress with preparing the vessel for sea readiness.

    (3)(a) The estimated cost of repair, and Operations (Manning) to date is ZAR 55mil.

    (3)(b) The estimated cost of replacing the RS Africana is ZAR 1.3 bill in 2012/13; the estimates have not been updated.

    (4)(a) The Department is in discussions with various departments having interest including National Treasury around the future replacement of the RS Africana. A business case will be developed and presented to national treasury once all other interested departments are consulted

    (4)(b) No. A replacement budget would need to be approved by National Treasury once the business case required has been presented to National Treasury.

    Reply received: August 2014

    QUESTION 1036/ NW1189E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Ms Z Jongbloed (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) Is the confiscated abalone seized by the SA Police Service or fishery control officers of his department sold by auction; if not, which method is used to sell the abalone; if so, why are the auctions not publicly accessible;

    (2) which companies are currently appointed to (a) process and (b) market the confiscated abalone;

    (3) (a) what amount of abalone was sold during the 2013-14 financial year and (b) at what price according to (i) grade and (ii) form;

    (4) (a) how many sale auctions were held during the 2013-14 financial year and (b) who were the buyers in each instance;

    (5) is any of the money generated from the sale of the abalone ringfenced for abalone research, management and compliance; if not (a) why not and (b) what happens to the money generated; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1189E

    REPLY

    (1) Is the confiscated abalone seized by the SA Police Service or fishery control officers of his department sold by auction; if not, which method is used to sell the abalone; if so, why are the auctions not publicly accessible;

    Confiscated abalone is sold by way of auction in line with the Departmental Policy on Handling of Confiscated Abalone. Only companies issued with a relevant Fish Processing Permit (for handling of abalone) from this Department are invited to bid at these auctions However, other parties can attend.

    (2) which companies are currently appointed to (a) process and (b) market the confiscated abalone;

    (a) Walker Bay Canners

    (b) N/A. The selling is handled by the Department and not a service provider.

    (3) (a) what amount of abalone was sold during the 2013-14 financial year and (b) at what price according to (i) grade and (ii) form;

    (a) R5 683 940

    (b) All abalone is sold in dry form. Prices vary across the grades and are influenced by quality of the product, market trends, demand on the international market etc. The average price per kilogram obtained in 2013/14 was R718.81.

    (4) (a) how many sale auctions were held during the 2013-14 financial year and (b) who were the buyers in each instance;

    (a) Five sales during 2013/14

    (b) Buyers at auctions held during 2013/14:

    Date Company Name

    24 May 2013 Walker Bay Canners

    6 September 2013 Walker Bay Canners

    30 October 2013 SPP Canning

    30 October 2013 Walker Bay Canners

    24 March 2014 Combined Abalone Processors

    (5) is any of the money generated from the sale of the abalone ring-fenced for abalone research, agement and compliance; if not (a) why not and (b) what happens to the money generated; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1189E

    (a) No

    (b) The funds are deposited into the bank account of the Marine Living Resource Fund and are utilised to cover the cost of confiscations, which includes the cost of processing the confiscated product as well as the independent monitoring company that monitors the processing company. The funds are further utilised for both research and compliance activities in the fight against poaching.

    Reply received: August 2014

    QUESTION 1035/ NW188E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Ms Z Jongbloed (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) Is there a clear plan or strategy to facilitate the decommissioning of 45 000 hectares of commercial timber plantations in the Western Cape; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

    (2) what is the current status of the process of decommissioning;

    (3) will the decommissioning have (a) socioeconomic implications and (b) other implications for the saw milling and pole timber industry in the Garden Route; if so, (i) what are the relevant details and (ii) what has his department done to mitigate the impact;

    (4) will the decommissioning result in any job losses; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1188E

    REPLY

    1. is there a clear plan or strategy to facilitate the decommissioning of 45 000 hectares of commercial timber plantations in the western cape, if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details

    (a) Yes, there is a strategy to facilitate the decommissioning of 45 000 hectares (ha) of forestry plantations in the Western Cape that was approved by Cabinet in 2001.

    (b) The details are that wherein within a 20 year period from the date of approval (2001), the identified area would be converted from forestry to the following land uses:

    · 29 000 ha to Conservation

    · 9 000 ha to Agriculture

    · 6 000 ha to Community Forestry

    · 200 ha to Human settlement

    2. what is the current status of the process of decommissioning

    Decommissioning in the Western Cape is being implemented through a 20-year exit-lease, dating from 2001 to 2019/20. The first five (5) years of this exit lease was with SAFCOL until 2005. The remaining 15 years of the 20 year lease were entered into with MTO Forestry (Pty) Ltd.

    3. will the decommissioning have (A) socioeconomic implications and (b) other implications for the saw milling and pole timber industry in the garden route; if so, (i) what are the relevant details and (ii) what has this department done to mitigate the impact

    (a) Yes, it has been recognised that the decommissioning will have socio-economic implications.

    (b) Indeed, other implications for the saw milling and pole timber industry were also recognised.

    (i) Studies undertaken by Government through the former Department of Water Affairs and Forestry on implications of decommissioning indicated that while environmental gains could be made from decommissioning, negative impact of loss of employment and shortage of timber would need to be addressed.

    (ii) To mitigate the negative implications of decommissioning, the Department presented new proposals to Cabinet to reverse the decommissiong of half of the area. Consequently, the 22 000 ha will be re-commissioned towards the end of the exit-lease period. Various options for this exercise are being investigated, in accordance with principles of Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), Act 1 of 1999.

    4. will the decommissioning result in any job losses; if so, what are the relevant details?

    Yes, it has been established that the decommissioning will result in job losses. The number of jobs under threat is determined by a formula that for every 1000 ha of forestry planted, 70 people are employed (this includes harvesting and transport) and for every 1000 m3 intake in timber processing, 9 people are employed. The retaining of 22 402 ha in production as a result of recommissioning will result in retention of 1,540 jobs and additional jobs will be created in the processing.

    Reply received: September 2014

    QUESTION 1034/ NW1187E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    (Ms A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) Whether any staff members from his department have any disciplinary hearings pending; if so, (a) how many cases are there and (b) how long has each been ongoing;

    (2) whether any disciplinary action was finalised against staff members of his department during the period 1 January 2009 up to the to the latest specified date for which information is available; if so, (a) how many cases and (b) for each case, what was the (i) reason for the disciplinary hearing and (ii) outcome? NW1187E

    REPLY

    1 - Yes

    1(a) - 18

    1(b) - 36 months

    - 31 months

    - 19 months

    - 19 months

    - 18 months

    - 11 months

    - 9 months and 12 days

    - 8 months and 7 days

    - 7 months and 14 days

    - 7 months and 2 days

    - 7 months and 2 days

    - 5 months

    - 5 months and 2 days

    - 5 months and 2 days

    - 4 months and 9 days

    - 2 months and 2 days

    - 2 months and 2 days

    - 2 months and 2 days

    2 - Yes

    2(a) - 152

    2(b) (i) (ii) sse the link: http://www.pmg.org.za/rnw1034-140916numberofcases

    Reply received: September 2014

    QUESTION 1033/ NW1186E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    (Ms A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    In each of the nine provinces, (a) how many staff members of his department are currently on (i) suspension with remuneration and (ii) suspension without remuneration and (b) for how many days has each of them been suspended? NW1186E

    REPLY

    1(a)(i) - 3

    1(a)(ii) - 0

    1(b) -1080 days

    -930 days

    - 25 days

    Reply received: August 2014

    QUESTION 799 / NW886E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    MS A STEYN (DA) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    QUESTION

    (1) Whether (a) he, (b) the Deputy Minister, (c) the Director-General or (d) any of his staff (i) attended, (ii) accepted an invitation and/or (iii) received tickets to the 2014 Soccer World Cup in their official capacity; if so, what are the relevant details including the (aa)(aaa) names and (bbb) positions of those who attended and (bb) breakdown of the amounts spent by his department on (aaa) travel, (bbb) accommodation, (ccc) entertainment and (ddd) any further specified expenses;

    (2) (a) what is the breakdown of the amount spent by his department on any persons accompanying (i) him, (ii) the Deputy Minister, (iii) the Director-General or (iv) any of his staff to attend the 2014 Soccer World Cup including (aa) travel, (bb) accommodation, (cc) entertainment and (dd) any further costs and (b) in each case, what is the (i) relationship and (ii) reason for accompanying the relevant person? NW886E

    REPLY

    No official from this Department attend under official capacity the 2014 Soccer World Cup.

    Reply received: August 2014

    QUESTION 737 / NW822E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Ms Z Jongbloed (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    1. What mechanisms and processes are in place in his department that informs him of the movements of the vessels of his department;

    2. what information did he rely on when he stated on 16 July 2014 that the Sarah Baartman was operational? NW822E

    REPLY

    1. The mechanisms and processes that are in place in the Department to deal with the movement of the vessels are the official Sailing Orders which informs the period, the area of operation, the objectives, schedule and responsible officials; and secondly, the officials' sailing reports and their attachments as completed after each and patrol(s) and research survey(s).
    1. The Sarah Baartman was operational as per the Sailing reports that confirm that patrols were completed and also that the vessel was out at sea. Further evidence from the Sarah Baartman is that on 05 May 2014 and 12 May 2014, two vessels were seized at sea and six suspects were arrested for illegally fishing for West Coast Rock Lobster off Cape Point. A further two vessels were seized for illegally fishing for West Coast Rock Lobster within the Overberg at midnight on 29 July 2014. Nine suspects were arrested in this incident.

    It should be noted that the Sarah Baartman and the other vessels will, from time to time, undergo maintenance procedures as planned or as per necessity.

    Reply received: August 2014

    QUESTION 736/ NW821E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Ms Z Jongbloed (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) (a) When will the Africana research vessel be replaced and (b) what is the estimated cost for the replacement of the specified vessel;

    (2) whether she will request a financial and/or budgetary allocation in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework to be set aside for the purpose of the (a) replacement and (b) repairs of the specified vessel; if so, (i) what are the anticipated costs of repairing the Africana to full operating capacity and (ii) when will these repairs, if any, be completed? NW821E

    REPLY

    1. (a) The process of replacing the RV Africana is still in the planning phase and is likely to be anything between 5 and 10 years to build a new vessel. It is estimated that the current repairs to the Africana will extend her active years of service by 7-10 years, but beyond that the vessel will not be able to render a ''value –for –money ''service as it will be extremely costly to maintain.

    1. (b) The estimated cost of replacing the RV Africana is R1.3 billion.

    2. (a) Yes, a budgetary allocation, based on a business case, will be requested to National Treasury. This will however not be done within the Department's Medium Term Expenditure Framework applications, but as a special project application.

    2. (b) Yes budget is allocated

    The answer to questions (i) and (ii) is given in detail below:

    The major factor influencing both the total remaining costs and timeline for completion of

    The vessel is the repair of the centre engine. At this time, there are 3 repair options for the centre engine.

    1. Option #1: Machine the current engine block and use spacers and new cylinder liners.
    1. Options #2: Source a suitable replacement second hand engine block and then ship it to SA and install it on Board.
    2. Options #3: Purchase of a new engine (This option has been pursued due to long lead-time on engine delivery).

    Over and above any of the engine replacement options, the remaining work, that is currently known or estimated work, should amount to approximately R1.5 million.

    It should be noted that the timelines and cost estimates are dependent on many variables, including Class approval times, SAMSA survey times and unforeseen defects becoming evident.

    Reply received: August 2014

    QUESTION 610/ NW693E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Mr T J Brauteseth (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) How many (a) international and (b) domestic hotel bookings were made by (i) the (the Ministry/department) (ii) his predecessors and (iii) departmental officials attending (aa) workshops, (bb) seminars, (cc) oversight visits or (dd) any other relevant meetings of the relevant portfolio committee from 1 April 2013 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;

    (2) in respect of each specified booking, what was the (a) date, (b) name of the hotel, (c) number of delegates, (d) cost of the hotel booking for each delegate and (e) the nature of the relevant portfolio business dealt with? NW693E

    REPLY

    Members of the Executive, by the very nature of their ministerial work are required to travel. Ministers and Deputy Ministers may choose to occupy a state-owned residence in the area, in which their seat of office resides. However, ministerial work is not limited to seats of office and their duties require them to visit provinces around the country and travel abroad in order to fulfill their duties, which include among others, interaction with communities and stakeholders in the course of delivering on their mandates. In these instances, Ministers and Deputy Ministers are accommodated in hotels or guesthouses, when fulfilling official duty away from their ordinary place of residence, befitting their office requirements and as outlined in the relevant policies.

    The 2013/14 year is currently being audited and will be available in the Annual Report. Information regarding the 2014/2015 financial year will also be audited and made available to the public at the relevant time

    Reply received: August 2014

    QUESTION 532 / NW614E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    MR M G P LEKOTA (COPE) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    QUESTION

    Whether he has found that his department has a sufficient number of inspectors to (a) inspect the welfare of animals and (b) check for (i) compliance with labour laws and (ii) the treatment of farmworkers; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what mistreatment of (aa) farmworkers and (bb) animals has his department (aaa) discovered and (bbb) successfully prosecuted in the period 1 January 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available? NW614E

    REPLY

    (a) The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) does not conduct any law enforcement in relation to animal welfare matters. The responsibility for law enforcement relating to the Animal Protection Act, 1962 (Act No. 71 of 1962) is vested with the societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals. These societies operate at two distinct levels, at municipal and national level. At municipal level, the enforcements are conducted by the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and at national level; the enforcements are conducted by the National Council for the Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA). The NSPCA and SPCAs are assisted by the South African Police Service and by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, mainly for prosecutions and issuing of summons to suspected perpetrators.

    All records of transgressions are lodged with the National Council for the Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA).

    (b) (i) compliance with labour laws ;

    The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) is not mandated to enforce compliance with labour laws. The enforcement of compliance to the provisions espoused by labour laws is the responsibility of the Department of Labour (DoL). The DoL has also under the Basic Conditions of Employment, 1997 (Act No. 75 of 1997) issued Sectoral Determination 13 of 01 March 2013, establishing conditions of employment for employees in the Farm Worker Sector in South Africa.

    (ii) The treatment of farm workers; if not, what is the position in this regard;

    The treatment of farm workers is a very broad issue as it encapsulates many other factors ranging from Employment issues, Social issues, Land Tenure and Health issues. The Department of Labour developed Sectoral Determination 13 of 01 March 2013 which seeks to address the treatment of farm workers in terms of working and living conditions of farm workers.

    The DAFF is not mandated to enforce compliance to labour laws, however, the DAFF coordinates the intergovernmental forum that seeks to find lasting solutions in implementing the resolutions of the National Vulnerable Workers Summit in 2010 which identified four thematic areas; social determinants of health for vulnerable workers, working conditions of vulnerable workers, security of tenure for vulnerable workers, and training and empowerment of vulnerable workers.

    Reply received: August 2014

    QUESTION 531 / NW613E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    MR M G P LEKOTA (COPE) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    QUESTION

    (1) Whether his department is implementing any plan to make the country self-sufficient in respect of poultry, dairy products and oil seeds; if so,

    (2) whether such a plan is in conformity with the National Development Plan in any way; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of the (a) plan and its (b) success? NW613E

    REPLY

    (1) Yes

    The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) is implementing animal improvement schemes to improve the quality of animals including poultry and dairy to utilise available natural resources to efficiently produce milk and meat.

    Currently, there are 100 million broilers and 32 million layers in the country contributing to 127 million chickens in the country at a given time. Considering the turnover of in particular broilers that are slaughtered at approximately 35 days, leading to approximately 1.6 million tons of meat and 1 billion broilers slaughtered per annum. This represents an increase of 135% in meat produced for the last 20 years. The Agricultural Policy Action Plan (APAP) has identified the Poultry/Soybean/Maize Integrated Value Chain as crucial in addressing and further increasing poultry production in South Africa.

    Despite the decreasing number of dairy farmers which decreased from just above 6000 to 1942. Milk production in South Africa has over the past 20 years increased by 39.5% and production per producer increased from 697 litres per day to 3650 litres per day. The Dairy Value Chain within APAP seeks to arrest the decline in dairy farming and further increase the volumes of milk produced in South Africa.

    Oilseed crops of particular importance to South Africa are sunflower, soybeans, groundnuts and canola. For the period 2013, South Africa has been self-sufficient, as measured by commercial seed production vs commercial consumption, in soybean and canola seeds. Over the same period, self-sufficiency in sunflower and groundnut seed was only 81% and 71%, respectively. This means that local demand needed to be supplemented by imports.

    The use of oilseeds as a raw product in animal feed shows that 71% of soybean oilcake was imported between April 2013 and March 2014 which indicates that soybean grain production and crushing capacity is far below the market requirement given that soybean oilcake makes up 14% of the raw material used in animal feed. Over the same period, imported groundnut and sunflower oilcake amounted to 18% and 22% respectively, whilst 3% of the canola oilcake, which makes up less than 0.5% of the components of animal feed, was imported. It can therefore be concluded that self-sufficiency in soybeans is a major concern.

    Current measures to increase our self-sufficiency in oilseeds include: the implementation of regulatory frameworks and the development and supply of advisory material and services to contribute towards sustainable production. The Department has also developed the Agriculture Policy Action Plan (APAP) which focuses of developing value chains of strategically important commodities, where some of these oilseed crops form an integral part of such value chains. APAP proposes strategic interventions to support the primary production, processing and final marketing of these oil seed crops, amongst others.

    (2) Yes

    The Department established the Agricultural Policy Action Plan (APAP) in compliance with the National Development Plan (NDP) for South Africa to ensure implementation of programmes to improve production of quality animals and animal products to ensure food self sufficiency. The NDP had identified crops like soyabean, sunflower, groundnuts and canola as strategic crops that can contribute greatly to economic development and job creation. APAP focuses on developing value chains of these crops to ensure the country and its people benefit. The positive trigger mechanism for both demand and supply of oilseeds is a clear indication of the success of the departmental policies, strategies and programmes.

    Reply received: August 2014

    QUESTION 468 / NW547E

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    MR W M MADISHA (COPE) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    QUESTION

    Whether his department has been taking expeditious action against individuals, either through routine inspection or when allegations are made in the media, who were found to be perpetrating cruelty against animals or acting in a manner that was injurious to their welfare; if not, why not, in each case; if so, in each case, what are the relevant details for the period 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2014? NW547E

    REPLY

    The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) does not conduct any law enforcement in relation to animal welfare matters. The responsibility for law enforcement relating to the Animal Protection Act, 1962 (Act, No. 71 of 1962) is vested with the societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals. These societies operate at two distinct levels, at municipal and national level. At municipal level, the enforcements are conducted by the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and at national level; the enforcements are conducted by the National Council for the Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA). The NSPCA and SPCAs are assisted by the South African Police Service and by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, mainly for prosecutions and issuing of summons to suspected perpetrators.

    All records of transgressions are lodged with the National Council for the Societies for the Prevention of cruelty to Animals (NSPCA).

    Reply received: July 2014

    QUESTION 454

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Ms Z Jongbloed (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:\

    QUESTION

    (a) how many grants were awarded in the Eastern Cape since 1 January 2014,

    (b) what is the name of the (i) person and/or (ii) company which received the grants,

    (c) what was the value of each research grant in each specified case and

    (d) has an environmental impact study been done? NW537E

    REPLY

    (a) No abalone farming research grant was awarded by DAFF in the Eastern Cape since 1 January 2014.

    (b) N/A

    (c) N/A

    (d) N/A

    Reply received: July 2014

    QUESTION 428

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Ms Z Jongbloed (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) whether any mention is made of a certain person (name furnished) in the report and/or any other ancillary documentation prepared by another certain person (name furnished) for his department; if so,

    (2) whether the report and/or any other ancillary documentation make any mention of impropriety or illegal activity by the specified person; if so, (a) what steps have been taken to investigate the matter and (b) do they include an audit of authorisations granted by the specified person that might be anomalous or inconsistent? NW510E

    REPLY

    (1) Yes.

    (2)(a) The matter has been referred to the relevant law enforcement agencies to investigate and advise.

    (2)(b) The law enforcement agencies will advise on the relevant course of action(s) to be taken by the Department.

    Reply received: April 2014

    QUESTION 376

    WRITTEN REPLY

    Mr B M Bhanga (Cope) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION:

    (a) How many farmers have moved their agricultural activities outside the country in the past five years and (b) what are the reasons for this migration? NW430E

    REPLY:

    The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries does not collect data on farmers that have moved their agricultural activities outside the country. Farmers move without consulting government. The Department may consider undertaking research on this matter.

    Reply received: April 2014

    QUESTION 375

    WRITTEN REPLY

    Mr B M Bhanga (Cope) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION:

    (a) What are the challenges facing the agriculture industry and (b) steps has her department taken to address these challenges? NW429E

    REPLY:

    The challenges confronting South African Agric and the steps already taken, as well as planned steps to be taken are highlighted in the APAP (Agriculture Policy Action Plan) document.

    Reply received: August 2014

    QUESTION 374

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

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

    QUESTION

    What amount was spent by (a) him since May 2014 and (b) his predecessor in the (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11, (iii) 2011-12, (iv) 2012-13 and (v) 2013-14 financial years on (aa) car hire, (bb) chartered flights and (cc) hotel accommodation? NW262E

    REPLY

    (a) Minister

    (i) since May 2014

    (aa)

    236,942.04

    (bb)

    0.00

    (cc)

    164,107.99

    (b) his predecessor

    (i) 2009-10

    (aa)

    36,226.20

    (bb)

    281,159.00

    (cc)

    913,074.58

    (ii) 2010-11

    (aa)

    3,084.01

    (bb)

    1,201,008.91

    (cc)

    702,925.03

    (iii) 2011-12

    (aa)

    136,685.84

    (bb)

    128,750.00

    (cc)

    807,752.41

    (iv) 2012-13

    (aa)

    216,662.81

    (bb)

    0.00

    (cc)

    130,156.00

    (v) 2013-14

    (aa)

    622,054.83

    (bb)

    0.00

    (cc)

    147,486.84

    QUESTION 363

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    (Ms A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    Whether all provinces have implemented the Fetsa Tlala Integrated Food Production Initiative; if so, for each province, (a) where were the initiatives implemented, (b) what amount has been set aside for the implementation and (c) what outcomes are expected? NW448E

    REPLY

    Whether all provinces have implemented the Fetsa Tlala Integrated Food Production Initiative; if so for each province,

    (a) Where were the initiatives implemented

    On the 11th September 2013, Cabinet approved the National Policy on Food and Nutrition Security, together with the Household Food and Nutrition Security Strategy and the Fetsa Tlala Food Production Initiative. The Fetsa Tlala Food Production Initiative was then launched on the 24th October 2013 in Kuruman, Northern Cape. The initiative was implemented in all nine provinces with a total of 154 hectares planted for the 2013/2014 financial year.

    TABLE 1: Fetsa Tlala annual targets per province 2013/2014 see the link: http://www.pmg.org.za/rnw361-140721table1

    Reply received: July 2014

    QUESTION 361

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Ms A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (a) What plans are in place to ensure job creation in the agricultural sector and (b) when does he intend to publicly announce these plans to ensure buy-in from all the stakeholders? NW446E

    REPLY

    a) The plan to deliver on the 1 million jobs by 2030 in the Agriculture sector (which is inclusive of crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries), requires a detailed analysis of the various challenges. A policy document, the Integrated Growth and Development Policy (IGDP) for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is based on this analysis, and outlines an appropriate response.

    The Agricultural Policy Action Plan (APAP) in turn seeks to translate the high-level responses offered in the IGDP into a value chain approach, identifying concrete actions and steps. The APAP is planned over a five-year period and will be updated on an annual basis.

    The first iteration of APAP thus does not offer a fully comprehensive plan. It is based on the model of the Industrial Policy Action Plan, IPAP, and it identifies an ambitious but manageable number of focused actions during the 1st year. APAP further aligns itself with the New Growth Path (NGP), the National Development Plan (NDP) and Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP), and seeks to assist in the achievement of Outcome 4, Decent Employment through Inclusive Growth, and that of Outcome 7, Comprehensive Rural Development and Food Security.

    b) By September 2014.

    Reply received: August 2014

    QUESTION 332

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Ms Z Jongbloed (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) What are the details of all flowers purchased by his department for each year between 1 April 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;

    (2) what are the details of (a)(i) the address and (ii) the name of the office where the specified flowers were displayed, (b) for whose benefit were the flowers purchased and (c) what was the purchase value of the flowers for each office where it was displayed;

    (3) in respect of flowers purchased for individuals, (a) what is the (i) name and (ii) relationship of the person to (aa) him and (bb) the Ministry and (b) what is the cost of each purchase;

    (4) what are the details of any (a) contractual arrangements and (b) plans to purchase flowers in the future? NW413E

    REPLY

    QUESTION 1 reply see the link: http://www.pmg.org.za/rnw332-140820question1

    QUESTION 2 reply see the link: http://www.pmg.org.za/rnw332-140820question2

    QUESTION 3 2 reply see the link: http://www.pmg.org.za/rnw332-140820question3

    QUESTION 4

    Details of any

    (a) Contractual arrangements – None

    (b) Plans to purchase flowers in the future – Non-Contractual

    NOTE

    There are twelve (12) payment batches for payments made by KZN: Forestry Region for the financial year 2011/2012 which we could not access, where flowers might have been purchased. The batches in question have been requested from the archives which are not managed by the department.

    Reply received: April 2014

    QUESTION 317

    WRITTEN REPLY

    MR GG HILL-LEWIS (DA) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    QUESTION:

    (1) Will she describe in detail the design of the T-shirts handed out as part of the Fetsa Tlala initiative;

    (2) Which company was used to provide the T-shirts to her department;

    (3) Who was responsible for the design;

    (4) (a) What is the significance of the design and (b) why was this specific design decided upon. NW370E

    REPLY:

    Yes, to depict our patriotism.

    Reply received: July 2014

    QUESTION 299

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Ms Z Jongbloed (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) What are the details of office furniture ordered and or purchased for the use of him and/or his staff since 1 May 2014;

    (2) in respect of each piece of furniture, (a) what is the description, (b) what is the breakdown of the costs, (c) where will each piece of furniture be used and (d) who will use each piece of furniture;

    (3) what are the details of furniture disposed of;

    REPLY

    The Department have not procured or disposed any furniture between 01 May 2014 to present for our Minister

    Reply received: April 2014

    QUESTION 297

    WRITTEN REPLY

    MRS A STEYN (DA) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    QUESTION:

    (1) (a) In which areas has the Fetsa Tlala Integrated Food Production Initiative been rolled out?

    (2) Whether she will provide a breakdown of the monies spent to date;

    (3) What amount of money has been spent on (a) t-shirts and (b) food packages; and

    (4) Whether t-shirts branded with the name and logo of a certain political party (name furnished) have been handed out as part of the Fetsa Tlala initiative? NW350E

    REPLY:

    (1) (a) In which areas has the Fetsa Tlala Integrated Food Production Initiative been rolled out?

    RESPONSE: Fetsa Tlala Integrated Food Production Initiative has been implemented in nine (9) provinces of the Republic.

    (b) What has been the total cost of this roll-out to date;

    RESPONSE: The total cost spent to date on Fetsa Tlala in 2013/14 depends on how much Provinces have allocated.

    (2) Whether she will provide a breakdown of the monies spent to date;

    RESPONSE: Yes

    (3) What amount of money has been spent on (a) t-shirts and (b) food packages;

    RESPONSE: The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) provides / develops policies and frameworks; the actual implementation of Fetsa Tlala is the responsibility of provinces, which include the launches.

    (4) Whether t-shirts branded with the name and logo of a certain political party (name furnished) have been handed out as part of the Fetsa Tlala initiative?

    RESPONSE: No

    Reply received: March 2014

    QUESTION 243

    WRITTEN REPLY

    MR M G P LEKOTA (COPE) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    QUESTION:

    Whether her department was ensuring, within the framework provisions of co-operative governance, that the small fishing harbours were well maintained in the past five years; if not, why not; if so, (a) which small fishing harbours and (b) what percentage of the small fishing harbours were models of excellence in respect of maintenance, upkeep and infrastructure renewal?NW294E

    REPLY:

    The small fishing harbours are the responsibility of the Department of Public Works.

    Reply received: July 2014

    QUESTION 206

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Mr G Mackay (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    1) Whether he has considered the findings and recommendations of the 2013 Public Protector's Docked Vessels Report: if not, when will he consider them; if so,

    2) whether he accepts the findings of the Public Protector's report; if not, what are the reasons for not accepting the findings

    REPLY

    1. Yes
    2. My Department has already begun implementing some of the recommendations – for instance – the involvement of National Treasury in the new bid process. This has also been reported to the Public Protector.

    Reply received: July 2014

    QUESTION 174

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Mr Z N Mbhele (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) What are the details of all the costs of the maintenance of the pot plants in his (a) departmental offices and (b) official residence (i) in the (aa) 2009-10, (bb) 2010-11, (cc) 2011-12, (dd) 2012-13 and (ee) 2013-14 financial years and (ii) since 1 April 2014;

    (2) in respect of the pot plant maintenance, (a) what is the (i) address and (ii) name of the office where they were/are displayed, (b) for whose benefit are these pot plants, (c) what was/is the value of maintenance for each office and (d) what are the details of any contracts and/or plans for the maintenance of these pot plants in the future? NW223E

    REPLY

    1. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) have no contract for pot plants

    Reply received: July 2014

    QUESTION 140

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    MR JRB LORIMER (DA) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    QUESTION

    (1) What are the details of all expenditure that was found to have been (a) irregular and (b) wasteful in the (the department) for each year from 1 April 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;

    (2) in respect of each such finding of (a) irregular and (b) wasteful expenditure, (i) what (aa) is the description thereof, (bb) is the value thereof and (cc) action has been taken against the persons accountable thereof and (ii) how much thereof (aa) has been recovered and (bb) from whom?

    REPLY

    Wasteful expenditure is recognized as an expense in the statement of financial performance in the year that the expenditure was incurred. The expenditure is classified in accordance with the nature of the expense and where recovered, it is subsequently accounted for as revenue in the statement of financial performance.

    Irregular expenditure is accounted for as expenditure in the statement of financial performance and where recovered, it is subsequently accounted for as revenue in the statement of financial performance.

    Annual financial statements are published in the Department's and/or entities Annual Reports which have been tabled and discussed in Parliament for the year 2009 up2009/2010; 2010/2011; 2011/2012; 2012/2013; 2013/2014 and are public documents. The 2013/2014 Annual Reports are tabled in accordance with normal parliamentary processes.

    Reply received: July 2014

    QUESTION 108

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Mr C D Matsepe (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) What are the details of official credit cards issued to (a) him and/or (b) his staff;

    (2) in respect of each credit card, (a) what is the (i) name and (ii) organogram position of the user, (b) what is the (i) maximum permissible value of each purchase and (ii) total credit limit of the card, (c) what are the details of permissible purchases for which the credit cards may be used and (d) may alcoholic beverages be purchased;

    (3) in respect of purchases made with each credit card during the period 8 May 2014 and/or thereafter up to the latest specified date for which information is available, (a) what is the (i) name and (ii) organogram position of the user, (b) what is the (i) value of each purchase made, (ii) what are the details of each item purchased and (iii) for what purpose was each purchase made and (c) were any alcoholic beverages purchased; if so, (i) what are the (aa) details and (bb) value of these purchases and (ii) for what purpose was each purchase made? NW118E

    REPLY

    Neither the Minister, Deputy Minister or any other specified officials nor other officials were issued with a government or official credit card

    Reply received: February 2014

    QUESTION 91

    WRITTEN REPLY

    QUESTION 91 FOR WRITTEN REPLY: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, DR P J RABIE (DA) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES

    QUESTION:

    Whether sections 10, 11 and 22 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996,

    were taken into account in respect of the recent allocation of fishing permits; if not, why

    not? NW92E

    REPLY:

    Yes. Rights, Permits and Licenses are issued in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act, Act No. 18 of 1998 which is in line with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act No. 108 of 1996.

    Reply received: July 2014

    QUESTION 76

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    Dr G A Grootboom (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

    QUESTION

    (1) How many (a) international and (b) domestic flights were undertaken by (i) him and (ii) his predecessors using (aa) aircraft operated by the military, (bb) aircraft chartered by the military or (cc) commercial aircraft during the period 1 April 2013 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;

    (2) in respect of each specified flight, what was the (a)(i) date and(ii) place of (aa) departure and (bb) arrival and (b)(i) total cost and (ii) breakdown of such costs? NW83E

    REPLY

    Ministers and Deputy Ministers may use business class / first class travel for official purposes at the expense of their Departments. Official trips include, amongst others, those travelled from Pretoria to Cape Town for Parliamentary Sittings and appearances, as well as international trips, which require Ministers to execute official duties.

    All flights are used for official duty and this is an enabling factor for Public Participation Programmes of Ministers who have to meet demands of their schedules.

    Members may use the South African Air force aircraft for official purposes, when available and under certain circumstances and for reasons including if the facilities of other airlines are not cost-effective and / or readily available in the specific instance.

    Members may also use chartered aircraft for official purposes and for reasons including if the facilities of other airlines are not cost-effective and / or readily available in a specific instance.

    The Ministry (and its support staff) is responsible for determining the cost-effectiveness of all trips carried out by Ministers and Deputy Minister's and ensure that the intended journeys meet the requirements of relevant guidelines.

    Reply received: February 2014

    QUESTION 56

    WRITTEN REPLY

    QUESTION 56 FOR WRITTEN REPLY: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, MRS A STEYN (DA) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES

    QUESTION:

    (1) How much does her department plan to spend on (a) advertising, (b) communication and (c) marketing between 1 January 2014 and 30 April 2014 (i) in total and (ii) as a breakdown of the amount;

    (2) (a) what mediums are her department going to use in each case and (b) who is the service provider to be used;

    (3) what is the main message that her department plans to communicate during this time? NW57E

    REPLY:

    1. Money will be spent on a needs basis
    1. Print and Electronic Media will be used on a needs basis
    1. Messages will be developed according to Subject matter

    Reply received: July 2014

    QUESTION 17

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    MS A.STEYN (DA) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES

    QUESTION

    Whether he has been made aware of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) Evaluation report; if so, (a) would she make recommendations to Parliament for consideration in this regard and (b) by when? NW22E

    REPLY

    Yes, the Office of the Minister has been made aware of the World Organisation for Animal Health's (OIE) Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) Evaluation report;

    1. the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) Evaluation report would be presented to the Portfolio Committee for their consideration. The presentation of the report to the Portfolio Committee had been put on hold and would be done once the new Portfolio Committee has been established.
    2. the Department is still awaiting for the new Portfolio Committee's programme and contact will be made regarding a possible date for the presentation of the report to the Portfolio Committee.

    Reply received: July 2014

    QUESTION 16

    MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES:

    MS A.STEYN (DA) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES

    QUESTION

    1. Whether he is aware of the minimum wage for farm workers; if so, what is the amount? NW21E

    REPLY

    1. Yes. R111, 72 per day