Agb Voorsitter, ek het verlede jaar in hierdie begrotingsdebat ges een van die beste landbouvooruitsigte vir die boere is dat die voormalige Minister van Landbou nie weer die Minister van Landbou sal wees nie. So ek was heeltemal korrek. Enige persoon wat iets weet van landbou sal weet na 'n lang droogte, as 'n mens daar op die plaas rondstap, ruik jy soms die ren in die wind.
Ek wil vir die agb Minister s die uitsprake wat sy maak, is 'n nuwe, vars briesie vir die boere. Daardeur s ek nie vir haar sy is die renkoningin nie. Die tyd sal nog leer.
Die slagspreuk van die agb Minister is: Saam sal ons beter doen. U is reg, agb Minister, maar u het 'n groot taak op u skouers. U sal eers die boere weer aan u kant moet kry, want u voorganger het u beslis nie 'n guns gedoen nie. U voorganger het die boere vervreem, veral die blanke kommersile boere. Die uitsprake wat sy gemaak het, was nie in die belang van die landbou nie, maar in die belang van die ideologiese stryd wat sy nog steeds teen die boere probeer voer. Die boere vra nie spesiale behandeling nie. Die boere vra erkenning vir die moeilike omstandighede waarin hulle 'n produk probeer lewer en vir die bydra wat hulle tot Suid-Afrika lewer. As u daardie erkenning aan die boere sal gee, kan ek u verseker hulle sal aan u kant kom en u sal dan kan s, saam sal ons beter kan doen.
Die boere vra ook nie spesiale beskerming nie. Wat die boere net wil s, is: Luister wanneer ons praat.
In 2002 het Graan Suid-Afrika die voormalige Minister en die regering gewaarsku dat as hulle nie die boere teen die invoer van koring beskerm nie, hulle 'n krisis gaan h. 'n Paar jaar daarna is daar toe 'n krisis. Toe weet die regering nie waar die krisis vandaan kom nie.
Landbou is soos 'n besigheid. As dit nie wins lewer nie, kan dit nie bestaan nie. Dis so eenvoudig soos dit. Dit is hoekom die koringboere destyds die landboubedryf verlaat het en die produksie van koring gestop het. Aan die einde van die dag is dit die verbruiker wat daardie prys moet betaal.
Ek wil afsluit en vir die agb Minister s dat sy 'n reuse taak op haar skouers het. Die tyd sal leer of sy wel die renkoningin gaan wees. [Tyd verstreke.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Hon Chairperson, I stated in this Budget Vote last year that one of the best agricultural prospects for the farmers was that the former Minister of Agriculture would cease to be the Minister of Agriculture. So, I was quite correct. Anyone who knows something about agriculture will know that if, after a long drought, one walks around on the farm, one sometimes picks up the smell of rain in the wind.
I want to tell the hon Minister that her statements are a new and fresh breath of air to the farmers. By that, I am not implying that she is the rain queen. Only time will tell.
The hon Minister's slogan is: Together we will do more. You are correct, hon Minister, but you are shouldering a major task. You will first have to win the favour of the farmers again, because your predecessor definitely did not do you any favours. Your predecessor alienated the farmers, especially the white commercial farmers. Her statements were not in the interest of agriculture, but rather in the interest of the ideological battle that she is still trying to wage against the farmers.
The farmers are not asking for any special treatment. What the farmers are asking for is recognition for the difficult circumstances under which they are trying to produce a product and for their contribution towards South Africa. If you give the farmers that recognition, I can assure you that you will win them over, and then you will be able to say, together we can do more.
In addition, the farmers are not seeking special protection. All that the farmers are trying to say is: Listen to us when we speak.
In 2002, Grain South Africa warned the former Minister and the government that if they were not going to protect the farmers against the importing of wheat, they were heading for a crisis. A few years later the crisis was realised. Then the government pleaded ignorance about the reason for the crisis.
Agriculture is like a business. If it fails to yield profits, it cannot exist. It is that simple. It was for this reason that the wheat farmers at the time left agriculture and stopped producing wheat. At the end of the day, the consumer has to pay the price for this.
I wish to conclude by telling the Minister that she will have to shoulder an enormous task. Only time will tell whether she will indeed be the rain queen. [Time expired.]]