Deputy Chair, hon Minister ...
... die Minister praat so baie mooi Afrikaans dat die boere in die Vrystaat baie bly sal wees. [...the Minister speaks Afrikaans so beautifully that the farmers in the Free State would be pleased.]
I would also like to thank our MEC present - I just see one here - Ms Qabathe from the Free State; it's good to have Free Staters here.
Firstly, I wish to thank the department on their budget presentation to the committee, our researchers and also our committee chairperson, Mrs Qikani, who serves the committee in a very professional manner, I must say.
The new Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries was established in July 2009 and came into effect on 1 April 2010. The budget for this department is some R3,658 billion which, needless to say, is totally inadequate. There must be a renewed focus on the need to ensure an adequate supply of safe, nutritious and high-quality food at affordable prices.
The smallholder subsector continues to be underproductive and economically unsustainable. The majority of land reform initiatives are failures, as the beneficiaries do not obtain post-settlement financial and other support. The department must ensure that there are more extension officers with improved qualifications - and that is in the report - and better veterinary services.
Extreme weather and climate conditions impact negatively on agricultural production and the livelihood of communities. Persons with an interest in farming need to be identified and trained to ensure that production is maintained. Many claimants to land wish to own ground, but have no inclination or passion to farm or to become commercial farmers and so productive land goes to waste, which is something that South African can ill afford.
Furthermore, according to National Treasury, a shortage of capital and skills, increases in input costs and low commodity prices have led to more than two million - some people say it is five million - hectares of idle agricultural land and abandoned buildings. Our committee went on an oversight visit to Ncora and Qamata Irrigation Schemes in the Eastern Cape, as alluded to by our chairperson. There is a large dam, the Lubisi dam, with canals and holding ponds fed by gravitational force. The ground is fertile and there is water, but little support from the department. Once upon a time there were dairies, butcheries and shops; now it is only devastation as the buildings and infrastructure have been systematically stripped and plundered.
I believe there are other such neglected irrigation schemes in the country. Whilst travelling in the Eastern Cape, the extent of the soil erosion was also noted. Many persons could be gainfully employed on a short-term basis to build stone walls or fill dongas and not merely fence them off as this does not help to reverse the damage caused.
Government is now proposing a share scheme for Agri-BEE farmers with the aim of reaching land reform targets and replacing the willing-buyer, willing-seller principle. The allegations that the willing-buyer, willing- seller principle is responsible for the failure of reaching the 30% target of land transfer to disadvantaged people is also indicative of a poor understanding of the land reform policy; while it is also an admitted fact that 90% of the transferred land is unproductive.
Small agriculture businesses can hardly serve economically as they operate in small net profit margins ranging between 2% to 5% on capital. Consequently, small and medium commercial farmers are in no position to divide the income between more shareholders.
No owner of property can be forced to dispose of their rights without fair compensation. The ignoring of this basic principle will result in the total collapse of food production and the banking system. The DA proposes that government should implement a successful model first based on partnership and/or mentorship agreements for the failed farms under the land restitution process, before risking the existing successful productive farms. I thank you. [Applause.]
The House CHAIRPERSON (Ms N W Magadla): Chairperson, hon Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson, hon MEC present, hon delegates and hon members, 18 May is an important day in the calendar of political events of South Africa. It is the day on which the former deputy president and secretary-general of the ANC Mr Walter Sisulu was born.
Mr Walter Sisulu was born on 18 May 1912, the same year the ANC was founded. If he were still alive he would have turned 98 years old today. He passed on in the same month he was born, that is on 5 May 2003, a few days before his 91st birthday.
In remembering the late Mr Walter Sisulu, who sacrificed his life for the liberation of his people, I'm reminded of what another stalwart, former President Nelson Mandela, said about him:
Many of us have gained positions, received accolades and have been acclaimed, but none of us match the leadership and humility of a great man Walter Sisulu.
Indeed, these observations about Mr Sisulu should inspire us. Leaders like the late Mr Walter Sisulu were humbled by the fact that the masses of our people looked up to them for guidance and leadership.
The aim of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is to support and promote agriculture, forestry and fisheries through policies and programmes that seek to enhance economic growth, food security and rural development.
As we debate this Vote we must remember that our people know what they have asked us to do. People want us to assist them with food production and food security - especially for the poor - as well as with opportunities for economic development in rural areas. This could be achieved through a comprehensive rural development strategy linked to agrarian reform, which builds the potential for rural sustainable livelihoods, particularly for African women.
In response to this, the NCOP has identified agriculture, rural development and land reform as forming part of its oversight priorities for this term of Parliament. We will be looking with keen interest at the delivery of services in these areas.
The Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs received briefings on 14 April 2010 from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on its policy and budget. This provided an opportunity for the committee to consider the strategic plan of the department in relation to the policy and Budget Vote. This meeting enabled the committee to determine its recommendation to this House in as far as the budget of the department is concerned.
From the briefing by the department, the committee has recommended that the department needs to put in place systems and processes to ensure that the land reform process facilitates development of the rural economies through transformation of agriculture and forestry, in order to ensure food security and the eradication of poverty. We will continue to engage the department in this regard.
During this term of an activist Parliament, we have agreed that we will be robust in exercising oversight because we want to do things differently. This must start with our ensuring that we unblock the blockages that are there in the delivery of services to our people. Oversight and accountability are central to creating a Parliament that is responsive to the needs of the people. It entails monitoring and reviewing the actions of the executive organ of government. Our approach this year is underpinned by the fact that this year is a year of action, and food security is one of the five key priorities of the ruling party.
In his state of the nation address this year, His Excellency President Jacob Zuma stated clearly that as public representatives we have to work closely with the communities. He said that we need to mobilise people to go back to the fields to produce their own food. This was reiterated by the premier of my province, KwaZulu-Natal, hon Dr Zweli Mkhize.
I am happy to note that my province has already started with this initiative and is continuing to intensify this partnership through the One Home, One Garden and One School, One Garden campaigns and many other agricultural support activities.
We urge the department to continue to support and empower women, especially rural women, to actively participate in the agricultural sector. Programmes such as Women in Agriculture and Rural Development and Youth in Agriculture and Rural Development should play a critical role in promoting food security, thereby safeguarding human life.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is responsible for production and resource management, agricultural support services, trade and economic development, food safety and biosecurity and marine aquaculture, as the chairperson has alluded to. It therefore goes without saying that agriculture has a critical role to play in boosting our economy through backward and forward linkages to the sectors.
There are already clear signs in some provinces where there have been government interventions to support people that those people are ready to make use of the land to support themselves and to earn a living. During our visit to Limpopo through the NCOP's Taking Parliament to the People programme in March this year, the people in the Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality raised a number of issues, including the following.
They said there is no monitoring of agricultural projects and that compromises the success and long-term sustainability of projects. Also, there is often a refusal by some people who own land to release land for development purposes. They want the department to ensure that farms that are adjacent to the main roads are properly fenced - a matter the province said they were taking up already. Lastly, the department should ensure that it monitors the progress of emerging farmers who have been trained.
These issues and many others, which were raised by the people of Limpopo during the NCOP's Taking Parliament to the People programme, are critical in strengthening the capacity of the agricultural sector. We are going to consider them, as this House, and interact with all the relevant role- players so that we can find sustainable solutions.
In concluding my input, let me remind you of the wise words of Mr Walter Sisulu in 1964, when he said:
As long as I enjoy the confidence of my people, as long as there is a spark of life and energy in me, I shall fight with courage and determination for the abolition of discriminatory laws and for the freedom of all South Africans irrespective of colour or creed.
As public representatives, it is our responsibility to ensure that our people enjoy the freedom they made sacrifices for. The ANC supports the Budget Vote for the department. Thank you. [Time expired.]