Technical teams that have been appointed to undertake a comprehensive assessment of farms receiving support through the land reform programme will commence their work next month.
Deputy President David Mabuza said this when he responded to oral questions to the National Council of Provinces via a virtual link-up on Thursday.
He said the assessments were being conducted to ensure that the appropriate policy interventions and post-settlement support measures can be effectively implemented. This is to enhance the productivity of all land reform farms.
“For the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Land Reform and Agriculture, the functionality and productivity of land reform farms remain high on the agenda, to ensure that the agricultural sector promotes economic inclusion, increases aggregate production output and contributes significantly to economic growth.
“As part of this work, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has prioritised a comprehensive assessment of all land reform farms, with a view of ensuring that appropriate policy interventions and post-settlement support measures are effectively implemented to enhance the productivity of all land reform farms.”
He said based on the assessment of each farm, appropriate support packages will be designed and implemented to improve functionality and productivity.
“In this regard, the department has appointed technical teams to undertake this comprehensive work. It is expected that the teams will commence next month.”
The Deputy President said given the scope of what needs to be covered, the process may take up to two years.
It is expected that interventions will be implemented on farms where assessments have been completed.
Comprehensive Producer Support Policy
“Alongside this, the department has finalised a Comprehensive Producer Support Policy for approval by Cabinet. In terms of this policy, a more targeted and differentiated approach to supporting various categories of farmers is proposed.
“Based on the needs assessment of each farm, it is expected that land reform beneficiaries will be supported in a more focused and effective way,” he said.
The Deputy President said as part of this, coordinated farmer support centres will have to be implemented at district level to ensure that government support services are integrated and made accessible to all farmers.
He said farmers should always find it easy to access an integrated suite of government services.
This, he said, requires better coordination between national, provincial and local governments.
“While core funding for land reform is expected to come from government, it has become clear that the fiscal space is constrained and limited, and therefore, private sector capital and partnerships, are critical pillars for our funding and financing model for agriculture, including blended financing options for farmers who are beneficiaries of land reform farms,” said the Deputy President. – SAnews.gov.za
