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Landboubegrotingsrede: Minister se begroting moet die dringendheid van die krisis weerspieël en help om voedselsekerheid in Suid-Afrika te verseker | Agriculture Budget Vote: Minister’s budget must reflect urgency of the moment and help secure South Africa’s food supply

English to follow:

9 Mei 2023

Terwyl die Minister van Landbou, Grondhervorming en Landelike Ontwikkeling, Thoko Didiza, vandag haar departement (DALRRD) se begrotingsrede lewer, hoop Agri SA op belangrike aankondigings rakende die implementering van besliste stappe om die uitdagings wat die sektor in die gesig staar en toenemende bedreigings aangaande voedselsekerheid aan te spreek.

Hoewel die breedvoerige gesprekke met die minister oor die sektor se uitdagings, veral beurtkrag, prysenswaardig was, is dit noodsaaklik dat die minister asook die regering duidelik demonstreer dat hul betrokkenheid by die sektor tot daadwerklike optrede sal lei ten einde voedselsekerheid in die land te handhaaf.

Agri SA het herhaaldelik gewaarsku teen die groeiende bedreiging wat beurtkrag vir voedselproduksie in die land inhou en dit word tans ook toenemend deur sleutelspelers in ander sektore, veral in die voedselkleinhandel, bevestig. Die dringendheid van hierdie oomblik moet weerspieël word in die prioriteite wat in vandag se Landboubegrotingsrede uiteengesit word.

Die DALRRD het ‘n uiters belangrike rol in hierdie krisis in soverre dit toesig hou oor die land se vermoë om in burgers se mees basiese behoefte – voedselsekerheid – te voorsien. Dit is dus noodsaaklik vir die departement om met ander relevante staatsdepartemente saam te werk om die verlammende impak van beurtkrag op alle boere te versag en ons hoop om besonderhede van hierdie werk in die begroting te sien.

In die besonder, om nie net beurtkrag aan te spreek nie, maar ook ander uitdagings wat die sektor in die gesig staar, hoop ons om meer van die Minister te hoor in terme van die departement se planne om:

  • Hulp met die fasilitering van marktoegang;
  • Vertoë ten einde sekere bedrywe uitgesluit van beurtkrag te kry;
  • Moedig Nasionale Tesourie aan om die korting vir sonenergie te verhoog,;
  • Druk op plaaslike owerhede om padnetwerke te herstel;
  • Samewerking met finansiële instellings om finansiële druk op boere te verlig; en
  • Samewerking met die Departement van Polisie om ‘n omvattende landelike

veiligheidsplan te implementeer.

Baie van hierdie kwessies waarmee die sektor te kampe het, is die onderwerp van die Landbou- en Landbouverwerkingsmeesterplan (AAMP). Ons sal dus ‘n opdatering oor die Departement se planne vir die komende finansiële jaar in hierdie verband verwelkom.

Agri SA sal die begroting fyn dophou en voortgaan om minister Didiza en die Departement, tesame ander tersaaklike departemente, te betrek om te verseker dat ons boere finansieel volhoubaar en operasioneel in staat bly om voedsel te produseer vir die 60 miljoen Suid-Afrikaners wat afhanklik van die sektor is vir voedsel.

 Navrae

Christo van der Rheede

Agri SA: Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte

083 380 3492

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9 May 2023

As Minister for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, delivers her department’s (DALRRD) budget vote address today, 9 May 2023, Agri SA hopes to hear key announcements on the implementation of concrete action to address the challenges facing the sector and the growing threats to the country’s food security.

While it is laudable that there has been extensive engagement on the sector’s challenges with the Minister, most notably on load shedding, it is vital that the Minister and government more generally now demonstrates that this engagement with the sector can be translated into real action that protects the nation’s food security.

Agri SA has repeatedly warned of the growing threat load shedding presents to food production in the country. These warnings are now increasingly being echoed by key players in other sectors, notably in food retail. The urgency of this moment must be reflected in the priorities outlined in today’s Agriculture Budget Vote.

DALRRD has a hugely significant role in this crisis insofar as it oversees the country’s ability to meet citizens’ most basic need – food security. It is therefore vital for the department to work with other relevant government departments to mitigate the crippling impact of load shedding on all farmers and we hope to see detail of this work in the budget vote.

In particular, to address not only load shedding but also other challenges facing the sector, we hope to hear more from the Minister in terms of the department’s plans to:

  • Help facilitate market access,
  • Lobby for the exclusion of certain commodities from load shedding,
  • Encourage National Treasury to increase the rebate for solar energy,
  • Put pressure on local governments to repair road networks,
  • Work with financial institutions to alleviate financial pressures on farming operations, and
  • Work with the Department of Police to implement a comprehensive rural safety plan.

Many of these issues facing the sector are the subject of the Agriculture and Agro-processing Masterplan (AAMP). We would therefore welcome an update on the Department’s plans for the coming financial year in this regard.

Agri SA will monitor the budget closely and continue to engage Minister Didiza and the Department – along with other relevant departments – to ensure that our farmers remain financially sustainable and operationally able to produce food for the 60 million South Africans who rely on the sector for their sustenance.

Enquiries:

Christo van der Rheede

Agri SA: Chief Executive Officer