(1) Whether the Government is going to mark 2015 as the International Year of Soils considering that bad farming practices over decades have caused serious damage to farm land, grazing and forests and that 2015 will therefore be the year for active intervention to begin to address the health of the soil; if not, why not; if so, what (a) will be done to reverse soil damage and to protect our country’s soil from both present and future damage and (b) incentives does the Government intend to provide to those persons who have done exceptionally well in building up and improving the soil on the land they occupy in both the rural as well as the urban landscape; (2) whether he will make a statement on the country’s programme of action for the 2015 International Year of Soils?