SPEECH BY MPL TINA JOEMAT-PETTERSSON

MEC FOR AGRICULTURE AND LAND REFORM, NORTHERN CAPE NCOP POLICY DEBATE VOTES 25 & 29

NCOP CHAMBERS, FRIDAY 19 MAY 2006

Hon. Chairperson
Hon. Deputy Chairperson

Hon. Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee

Hon. MECs for Agriculture and Land Reform

Hon. Members of the NCOP and Provincial Legislatures

Heads of Departments and other Managers in Government

Comrades and Friends

Ladies and Gentlemen

Honourable Chaiperson, it is with great excitement and humility that I wish to congratulate the Minister for once again prioritizing the realizing of a people centered developmental agenda that evolves on human needs. We have certainly been granted a beacon of hope in an age of hope that reinforces agriculture as one the most critical vehicles for the eradication of poverty and under-development. We once more got to grips with the fact that a developmental paradigm can never be separated from the prerequisites of the expansion of the agricultural economy which are increased investment and skills development.

I can proclaim without any doubt that the economic and moral vision that has been put before us is the only path to be pursued in extricating millions of South Africans from the bitter fetters of colonialism that has its vestiges laden in our agricultural landscape. The Minister has reminded us that where there are challenges, opportunities are aplenty. Ours is to strengthen our centers of excellence for the development of African agriculture. This would certainly also assist us in meeting the various challenges that besiege the sector yearly.

It therefore a privilege for me to flag the initiatives that government had undertaken in addressing scarce and critical skills acquisition within agriculture. The steps undertaken are indeed inextricably linked to the noble ideals of Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA).

Much headway has been made in our partnership with the South African Agri-Academy and the two other Cape provinces in the training of our economist, veterinary officials in areas of marketing, traceability and laboratory skills. As envisaged in JIPSA, province has established a database of retired agricultural engineers and other agricultural specialists who would be drawn to assist where necessary. In the next three months we will be recruiting unemployed graduates such as animal health technicians and researchers. Further, artisans, extension officials and other agricultural officials will be put through a learnership programme this year.

Honorable Chairperson, in expanding on the challenges, I wish to point out that last year saw the decline in agriculture’s contribution to the provincial economy, at -0.26%. This has been attributed to a number of factors, including the effect of a strong rand on the export of table grapes, especially from the Lower Orange region. This resulted in lower earnings; lower maize price; export of raisins affected by oversupply from countries such as USA, Turkey during 2003 – 2004 and effects of drought on livestock. All these factors led to liquidations and sequestration of farming businesses in the province. This significantly also had a reciprocal effect in the shedding of jobs in the agricultural sector. We will therefore continue to engage with various stakeholders in the sector to find workable solutions.

The Northern Cape like many other provinces has been experiencing dramatic climate changes. The continuous dry spell in most parts of the Province, particularly in the Namaqua district and the recent floods in parts of Hartswater and Taung areas, further testifies its characteristic as a province of extremes. The challenge therefore is how to sustain the current and future production under these circumstances.

We support Minister Didiza’s call, in her budget vote to galvanize resources to combat the effects of climate change on agricultural production. We are working closely with the Departments of Housing & Local Government and Water Affairs & Forestry on the development of a Provincial Disaster Management Plan. More emphasis will also be put on mitigation strategies, particularly on drought, by preparing and sensitizing farmers through early warning measures and systems. The Department will improve on the management of agricultural risk through the following efforts:

· Training of farmers and participation in the District Disaster Management Co-coordinating Committee, and

· Development of disaster management policy, contingency plans and protocols, Monitoring of rainfall and weather patterns, Research and monitoring of grazing capacity norms.

Honourable Chairperson, we have just emerged out of the National Land Summit where participants renewed their commitment to ensuring;

(a) the redistribution of at least 30% of white owned agricultural land by the 2014

(b) inclusive partnerships in which government, landless people, farming communities and other components of civil society act together for sustainable land and agrarian reform

(c) the state assuming a stronger leading role

To this end, as a Province we have renewed the mandate of the Land Reform Co-ordinating Committee. One of its key tasks is to ensure coordination based on the Summit resolutions amongst all three spheres of government. In particular, government needs to enhance its capacity in targeting beneficiaries for land reform. We ought to identify and acquire land for redistribution and to support beneficiaries with an array of mechanisms that would enable them to become independent

The Minister once again outlined a strategy for the implementation of the land summit recommendations, which include pro-active land acquisition strategy. The Department of Agriculture and Land Reform is working with the Northern Cape Provincial Land Reform Office and the Regional Land Claims Commission on a plan to take this forward. We are collectively working towards meeting the Northern Cape’s redistribution target of 625 000ha per annum. The plan will certainly focus on the agricultural corridors and hubs.

Northern Cape had a total of 2905 claims. 2101 have been settled and 760 outstanding. We will, through the Land Reform Co-ordinating Committee ensure that the necessary support is provided for the settlement of the outstanding claims in order to meet the deadline of December 2008, and post-settlement support thereof. It is also through the LRCC that we are working on a plan to address issues raised during the NCOP visit to Kgalagadi, which are mainly around land, water and agricultural support.

Honourable Chairperson, linked to the issue of accelerating land and agrarian transformation, has been the question of driving the core objectives of the government as set in 2004 to halve poverty and unemployment by 2014. The Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (ASGISA) offers a renewed intervention of a National Shared Growth Initiative, rather than “government’s programme”.

The Department of Agriculture and Land Reform has identified programmes and projects and explored further on the aspect of agricultural corridors and hubs with a view to streamline resources for agricultural development in the province. This would be done in line with national initiatives, particularly the Agriculture Programme of Action that serves as catalyst towards achieving the 6% growth. The initiatives have also been aligned with Provincial Growth and Development Strategy’s objectives.

The exercise resulted in the identification of seven (7) hubs, namely, Vaalharts, Hopetown/Douglas, Prieska/Groblershoop, Upington, Orange River corridor (for 4000ha of water rights), Namaqua and Kgalagadi forming part of the Industrial Strategy for Agriculture in the Province.

The following are some key programmes and projects that were identified as among the anchor projects in the hubs:

· The Orange River Emerging Farmer Settlement Programme (4000 water rights) aims to broaden access for previously disadvantaged communities along the Orange River through the allocation of the new water rights and irrigation development. The Programme will as well contribute towards the target of 50% increase of the irrigation land in RSA as per the ASGISA targets. Preliminary investigations have indicated the potential of soils from the Karoo right through to Namaqualand. Further feasibility and economic viability analyses are underway that will inform the settlement and development models.

· Vaalharts irrigation scheme has been identified and classified as one of the anchor projects within the Vaalharts development hub. To this end a programme has been developed that is intended to rehabilitate the irrigation system by addressing the waterlogging and salinization problem, upgrading the canal and putting in measures for efficient and sustainable use of agricultural water. In collaboration with farmers and other stakeholders the project will further look at alternative crops of high value that will increase profitability in the Vaalharts scheme, empower black farmers and contribute to sustainable jobs in the area.

R250 million has been allocated through the Department of

Agriculture for the rehabilitation of irrigation schemes over a

ten year period. Assessment has started and a scoping plan

will be completed by December 2006. The programme will also

advance the agri-tourism purpose in the area, following on the

identification of olive production and processing as one of

flagship projects in the province

· With regards to the commercialization of the goat industry, 76 Cooperatives, which involve the emerging farmers, have been established to participate in the commercialization of goats programme. This programme aims to formalize the production and marketing of goats in the province. Through collaboration with Agri-SETA, 320 Co-ops members received training on goat management at one of our research stations. The Department further distributed Goat management kits to the value of R300 000 to Co-operatives for animal husbandry. Furthermore, funding has been secured for goat production by cooperatives and to link production with the processing and market of meat products.

Honourable Chairperson, on Agri-BEE interventions, while noting market mechanisms alone will not achieve the kind of fundamental structural change that all agree is needed. Other empowerment tools and products such as the Micro-Agricultural Finance Schemes of South Africa and the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme are needed for farmer support. Therefore the Department has in collaboration with National Department of Agriculture developed a roll-out plan for MAFISA in the Northern Cape. The plan, with recommended institutional arrangement, was presented to the Economic Cluster and was endorsed. Implementation will start in Kgalagadi District as our pilot, and will be extended to other parts of the province in the third quarter. Discussions with role players have already started. This intervention will certainly revitalize the rural economy and rural development.

Northern Cape has received R15m & R5m for CASP and Landcare, respectively, for 2006/07. CASP will benefit 1524 people and create 366 jobs. 594 will benefit from Landcare, with 201 jobs created. We have learned lessons from the previous years of implementation of projects and will use that experience to address some of the constraints. Ours is to fast track this year’s implementation and spending.

Honourable Chairperson, one of the most delicate challenges in agriculture is that of bio-security. We have positioned ourselves as the Department by reviewing Vet structure to include a Unit for contingency and emergency preparedness, Animal Health Technicians per municipality and extra 15 Animal Health Technicians who will be trained on emergency preparedness and will be used when the need arise.

In conclusion Honourable Chairperson, the importance of intergovernmental relations as set out in the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act can never be over emphasized. The Northern Cape Province has already established the Premier’s Intergovernmental Relations Forum as a structure that would continue to assist us in achieving co-ordinated hands on support to Local Government. All provincial departments have completed the assessment of the Integrated Development Plans of municipalities.

This culminated in sector engagements with district municipalities. Our participation as a department in these engagements was to ensure that agriculture programme of action is captured in the IDPs of municipalities.

Thank you,