Honourable speaker
Honourable Premier, Mr Cassel Mathale
Honourable Members of the Executive Council
Honourable Members of the House
Magoši, Tihosi, Vho-Thovhele
Representatives of Commodity Groups and Farmers’ Unions
Representatives of Women in Agriculture and Rural Development (WARD), Youth in Agriculture and Rural Development (YARD) and Co-operative Movements
Representatives from the national Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Representatives of the Department of Trade and Industry
Representative of Flanders International Cooperation Agency (FICA)
Agribusiness Investors and Strategic Partners
Ladies and gentlemen
Honourable speaker, since the African National Congress (ANC) Resolutions of December 2007 and the successful election outcomes on 22 April 2009, as well as the re-constitution of national parliament and provincial legislatures, the spirit of “hitting the ground running” has never been so intense. The challenges of rural development and investment in the second economy continue to require holistic and co-ordinated approach to ensure structural transformation that rural development demands.
Agriculture is a business and Agriculture should be accorded the respect and attention it deserves because it is such a tricky and risky arena that even the most astute entrepreneurs, quite often get dumbfounded by the conditions in which it operates.
We have been given five mandatory priorities to deliver on in the next five years. We have also been given ten medium term strategic framework priority areas to focus our plan of action on. The “ground” is really fertile and ready for anchoring the seeds and nourishing the crops until they mature and products are harvested.
The Department of Agriculture will focus on, 1) rural development, food security and land reform with priority areas being 1.1) comprehensive rural development strategy linked to land and agrarian reform and food security, 2) creation of decent work, prioritising 2.1) massive programme to build social and economic infrastructure,
2.2) speeding up growth and transforming the economy to create decent work and sustainable livelihoods, 2.3) sustainable resource management and utilisation and, 2.4) stepping up massive programmes on Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) linked to infrastructure and meeting social needs with community gardens, removal of alien vegetation and tree planting.
Honourable speaker, it is with gratitude and pride that the Department of Agriculture has been tasked to champion Comprehensive Rural Development Programme pilot project on behalf of the province at the Muyexe Village, Greater Giyani. The core involvement will entail improving institutional arrangements, infrastructure investment and providing framework for food production aimed at increasing the value of agriculture as a catalyst for rural development.
Honourable speaker, the world is still reeling from the economic shocks and financial crisis since early last year with little sign of abating. Limpopo is a rural province and it is disturbing to note that, according to National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) Quarterly Food Price Monitor, May 2009, prices of most food items experienced double digit inflation. Maize meal, wheat flour, sunflower oil and tea/coffee were all above 13%. Only sorghum meal (7.48%) and dairy products (5.22%) recorded inflation pressure below 10%. Over and above these, transaction costs in rural areas are found to be twice as much as in urban areas. All these, put pressure on rural consumers in search for food for their families. It is thus undeniable that rural development should be given priority with massive investment in infrastructure development. This investment would stand our country in good state in future for generations. The cost of doing business must be affordable for people to depend less on state support. More jobs must be created through private entrepreneurship and public private partnerships.
It is however, encouraging for farmers and food producers that “in contrast to most demand categories in the South African economy, the demand for food has remained strong and as the impact of the recession filters through the economy the demand for fresh produce and more basic food items (e.g. maize meal, potatoes, vegetables, fresh milk, fresh meat etc) is expected to remain high. This means there is room for improvement.
Interest rates have been softened but cost of other inputs is still harsh for farmers. This situation required governments to put more effort in supporting local farmers to ensure food security and food for all, so that “no one person should go hungry.”
The efforts by Sasol South Africa (SA) to connive and charge local farmers such exorbitant prices on fertilisers should be stopped forthwith. These actions are the ones that push food prices so high because farmers cannot feed the nation without fertilisers as inputs. Our government must dig deep into the Sasol SA saga. As Limpopo Department of Agriculture, we recommend that Sasol SA should donate an equivalent of their “fine” (R240 million) in fertiliser consignment to emerging farmers for food security projects for the next three years.
The infamous and impeding tariff hike by Eskom is a concern for farmers in the province especially irrigation farmers and those involved with agro-processing. The combined effect of the “still high” interest rates, increasing input prices and electricity tariffs is significant enough to surpass any increases in the product prices. This is the cost-price squeeze phenomenon.
As it was mentioned last year, it should be noted that neither farmers nor consumers are directly responsible for the current high food price conditions. Farmers’ response to high commodity prices will always lead to lower commodity prices in the medium to long term.
The law of demand and supply always oscillates to correct short term market imperfections. For all we know, it is evident that market forces cannot be left alone to correct their wrongs or imperfections. The private sector should partner with Agricultural Departments in co-funding and co-supporting food production programmes that focus on food security and poverty alleviation. As the ANC said at Polokwane Conference, more support for farmers will assist in minimizing the food shortage issue and thus bringing food crop prices to reasonable levels.
As contribution to the search for sustainable resolve of food prices, the Department will convene an Agricultural Indaba in the province before end of August 2009 to produce what I call Limpopo Agricultural Revival Plan.
The key aim here is to solicit the support of all agricultural stakeholders and commodity organizations to assist the department to forge a plan that will involve all farmers in a quest to make our contribution visible and sustainable.
Since the Food and Nutrition Campaign Plan last year, the Departments of Agriculture, Health, Co-operative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs and Education have drastically increased awareness and ensured that our people took the responsibility to produce basic food in their back yard gardens and food plots or community gardens to lessen the food price impact.
Honourable speaker, it is pleasing and an honour for me to register our achievements and performance for the preceding 2008/09 financial year.
For the first time in four years, the department could spend 99.96 (100%) of the allocated budget in the 2008/2009 financial year. For 2007/2008 the department managed only 91.40% while in 2006/2007 the spending was 99.50%. In 2005/2006 the spending was at a paltry 89.63%
I am mentioning this since the core message from the President, in his State of Nation Address and as emphasised by Premier Cassel Mathale, in his State of The Province Address, is very clear and unambiguous, namely: “We have to revitalise a new culture of doing a job today, and finish it today, and not tomorrow! We want to put it clear that we shall not tolerate government officials who return unspent money back to the fiscus, only because they failed to plan. As the President has instructed, “there must be no wastage, no rollovers every cent must be spent wisely and fruitfully.”
With such instructive call, the department will comply with this instruction and ensure that while the department is still extremely exposed and challenged on the technical planning capacity in engineering, natural resource management, agricultural statistics, agricultural economics and veterinary areas, the little resources allocated to the department will be spent wisely and fruitfully.
The total budget allocated for the department for 2009/10 financial year is R1, 185 billion of which R126 million is conditional grants (Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP), Land care, Letsema and Disaster relief). A total of R102 million was reduced from the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) budget, of which, R13 million is from the equitable share and R89 million from the Infrastructure Grant to Provinces (IGP) budget. The cut from the IGP budget represent 100% of the budget allocated over the MTEF budget for the improvement in agricultural infrastructure. In response to these cut, the Department had to reduce the budget for RESIS in order to cater for the projects that were covered under IGP and the maintenance of the completed projects. The ability of the Department to contribute to infrastructure investment, rural development and agri-entrepreneur empowerment has been severely reduced.
About R646 Million (54.51%) of the total budget of the Department of Agriculture is allocated for personnel expenditure.
Despite the restructuring of the department that took place during the 2007/08 financial year, the percentage of compensation of employees has not changed significantly. In fact the percentage reduced slightly from the 54.59% during the 2008/09 financial year.
An amount of R292 million is allocated for goods and services. This is mainly to use for operational expenses (travelling, communication, government vehicles running cost, skills development etc) and contractual/non elastic obligations (e.g. Leases of office buildings and equipments, security services, municipal services etc) of the department. Included in the budget for Goods and Services is R28.5 million from conditional grants of which the expenditure would be current in nature. The budget allocated to Goods and services as a percentage of the total budget is 19.47% currently as compared to 24.64% in 2008/09. Despite the slight increase in the final budget allocated for the 2009/10, goods and services share continues to shrink amid increasing conditional grants budget.
An amount R1.5 million is set aside as a provision for write off of irrecoverable debts. This are mainly debts owed to the department, mostly by former staff members who were found to be in the social security system and not able to meet their obligation and those who have passed on and also in the care of government old age grant.
An amount of R66 million is allocated for transfers of which R59 million is meant for the ARDC’s commercial activities, namely, black tea commercialisation, integrated poultry projects and office management.
An amount R179 million is allocated to capital expenditure. This is mainly for infrastructure support to farmers funded through CASP (R95 million) and equitable shares (R71 Million) through RESIS project. This budget is also utilised to fund projects that were previously funded under IGP.
The department had to continue with other projects due to the fact that in some projects, the department had already entered into a contract with other partners and stakeholders (e.g. Mechanisation Revolving Credit Access Scheme (MERECAS). The other R15 million is allocated for the renovations at Tompi Seleka and the construction of decent houses and gate offices for the Foot and Mouth Red Line employees patrolling area. The department has identified the need to build 32 houses of which 16 are prioritized for 2009/10 financial year.
Honourable speaker, for the year ending as at 30 March 2009, the performance of specific programmes is as follows:
* Administration has spent 100.23% of its allocation. This little overspending was due to statutory allocation of which is a direct charge against the provincial revenue fund.
* Sustainable Resource Management has, spent 99.60%. This is commendable since the bulk of infrastructure investment is undertaken in this programme.
* Farmers support including Production Technical Support Services and Post Settlement Support on Land Reform, realised 99.91% expenditure level, and the following Programmes spent 100% of their allocations, namely: Veterinary Services, Technology Research and Development, Agribusiness Development and Planning, and Structured Agricultural Training.
These programmes collectively constitute the achieved 99.96% (100%) spending of the budget.
In March 2004, excess staff stood at 1 348 and over the years the numbers have been shrinking through voluntary severance packages, natural attrition and transfers to other departments. Excess staff in Limpopo Department of Agriculture (LDA) as at end of March 2009 was at 142, but as at 1st June 2009, we are left with only 38. This is equivalent to 97% reduction over five years.
For the 2008/2009 financial year, the Department provided 125 bursaries at a cost of R6.2 million, hired 251 interns and placed 30 students in experiential training programmess.
On international training in scarce skills, the department posted one irrigation engineer to China with Camco International, three students’ vetenarians at the Nairobi University in Kenya. Four more veterinary students will be heading for training at the same university. Furthermore, two students will be placed at Egerton University in Kenya to train as tea processors and tea blending experts from September 2009. This is done as part of our black tea estates revitalisation in the province.
The Limpopo Agribusiness Academy (LADA) has improved its status among our farmers and agri-entrepreneurs since its launching two years ago. Over 2000 trainees were trained with just about R14.3 million. About 1000 trainees are targeted in various fields with an allocated budget of R15 million for the 2009/10 financial year.
The department greatly appreciates the assistance of the Flanders for donor funding capacity building of farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs and our staff in Limpopo.
The municipality focus has been taken a step further and our delivery tactic of focusing on local municipalities compelled us to improve and enhance local municipalities who are now the forefront of rural development and service delivery. There would be further re-structuring to ensure that delivery of services is managed by a senior manager who will interact with Municipal management, Mayors, Councillors and our Magoshi at a higher level. This approach has improved planning integration of agricultural projects and the Integrated Development Plan (IDP)/Local Economic Development (LED).
The department has assisted 110 farmers to acquire new agricultural mechanisation equipments, mainly tractors and some implements, in the 2008/09 financial year. The department spent about R17.9 million on MERECAS ensuring that farmers in the province acquired appropriate tractors and implements.
Due to the budgetary constraints, the MERECAS budget has been allocated R7.94 million for the 2009/10 financial year and such an allocation will be enough to assist only 40 farmers.
The department continued and will continue to support farmers who are organized into commodity associations. In the previous financial year, the Limpopo Tomato Growers Association was assisted to acquire a tomato processing plant, Neotech (Pty) Ltd for R17.6million to acquire a stake in a tomato processing factory in the Politsi area. The department has assisted five different set of beneficiaries on revitalized irrigation schemes to generate a combined turnover of R26million and profit of R2.5 million in the previous financial year. In the coming financial year, an additional (to the incomes achieved last year) turnover of R25 million and an additional profit of R2.2 million for additional (new) six irrigation schemes are estimated to be generated.
The Department will be launching the Tshivhase black tea, Midi tea brand, along with the collateral brands (Midi Rooibos and Africafé coffee) before the end of August 2009 and the project will be handed over to the Tshivhase community once it is firmly grounded and its cash flow is positive. The branded products of this and other commercial projects are handed to special guests of the Department today! Enjoy them! Support them when they arrive in the shops and retail outlets! The department takes this opportunity to thank Greenstone Marketing (Pty) Ltd for making Limpopo proud by positioning Midi tea to South African consumers.
The Revitalisation of Smallholder Irrigation Scheme (RESIS) infrastructure investment programme which is part of the Horticultural cluster is starting to show visible fruit. For 2008/09 financial year, Mbahela Scheme infrastructure in Thulamela has been completed with an investment of R12 million.
Five of the six completed schemes are fully operational on a commercial basis. These schemes are producing potato alternating with grains. They are Makuleke and Mbahela in Thulamela, Tšwelopele (Tubatse) and Elandskraal (Marble Hall), Strydkraal in Fetakgomo. All these schemes are producing potato and maize for the Simba South Africa crisp chips market.
Homu Irrigation schemes (Giyani) has been producing piquant pepper in partnership with Pepper Dew International. Unfortunately this scheme has been affected by the consistent year to year declining water levels in the middle Letaba Dam. The production has been halted in April 2009. The department and Water Affairs are looking at alternative water supply in the interim. Possibilities include borehole water.
Mapela Irrigation project in Mogalakwena has suffered a setback when a major contractor was put under provisional liquidation. The due legal processes are followed to replace the contract and complete the scheme before September 2009.
The Tshiombo power line is completed. It is energized and is supplying Mbahela Irrigation project with electricity. This line will later benefit Tshiombo cluster of schemes which are to be revitalized in later years.
Lower Lepelle Canal repair works on 22 kilometres, which is near completion, has been delayed due to the flooding in the Olifants / Lepelle River in the previous year. The work should be completed by end of September 2009.
Water scarcity, energy shortages, vandalism and community conflicts remain the challenges to the feasibility and the rate of scheme development. Two projects could not proceed to completion due to these conflicts (Metz and Hereford). The need for partnerships, community involvement, intergovernmental and private sector to make this economic program a success is necessary.
Our rural people must also appreciate that if benefits are not coming to you directly, there is no need to disrupt other programmes because these projects come one by one.
The Department has launched “Greening Sekhukhune” project in November 2008. The Programme was able to plant 37 499 indigenous and fruit trees including other conservation measures investing R5.9 million in the process. This project is co-funded between LDA and Department of Public Works in an attempt to deal with land degradation, impacts of climate change and food security.
In the 5 year review, the Department as a lead sector for Environment and Culture of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) created 37 499 job opportunities. Key programmes for implementation by my department are LandCare, RESIS, Food Security, Tea Estates and CASP.
For the 2009/10 financial year my Department will complete roads, waterways and automisation of irrigation on the Infield irrigation systems for Phetwane, Mogalatšane, Krokodilheuwel and Setlaboswane schemes at a cost of R 18.5 million. These schemes should start to operate with a strategic partner from August 2009 to produce potatoes and Maize. About 423 farmers will benefit from the operations. Over 400 jobs will be created annually once these schemes come into operation.
Bulk water supply to the Lower Lepelle canal will progress with the repair to the Badfontein weir, and refurbishing of the first two kilometers of the pipeline at a cost of R13.5 million
Infrastructure works that were delayed in the previous financial year will be completed. These include:
* Lower Lepelle canal repair which will be completed end of June 2009 at the cost of R2 million.
* Mapela infield irrigation system once the new contractor is engaged to replace the liquidated company. This will cost R4 million.
* Dam safety repairs on dams at Moddervlei dams will be complete in July and Mogoto Dam works will be completed in September 2009 when the water level in the dam will be drained to allow works on the dam floor. Dam safety works will be completed at a cost R2.56 million.
Honourable speaker, in pursuance with the 15 Year Review of Government, the Department has implemented 54 Landcare Projects since the Landcare Programme’s inception in 1997. In 2009/10 fiscal year, the department will be implementing 10 Landcare Projects with the allocation of R7.7million in an effort to combat the prevailing scourge of land degradation which has a significant bearing on agricultural production and food security.
Honorable Speaker, I am also pleased to announce that Limpopo will be hosting the fourth Biennial National Landcare Conference and the African Regional Landcare Committee meeting from 12th to 16th July 2009, here in Polokwane, Limpopo. The theme for the 2009 Landcare Conference is “Together, Caring for Our Land Caring for Our Future” which moves consistently with the ruling party’s caption of “Working Together, We Can Do More.”
About 5000 jobs opportunities are targeted in the 2009/10 financial year in the labour intensive programmes with a budget of R134.8 million under the EPWP.
Transformation in the agricultural sector is harsh and complicated. The strategic investor partnerships are a new institutional arrangement and sometime they are very sophisticated for our farmers, who as a result of past systemic dispossessions and alienation from the land have no special entrepreneurial acumen and content to operate integrated high value agricultural commodity chains. These partnerships are however critical and ideal to close the gaps for requisite management, equipments and operational expenses required to avoid job losses and keep the farms productive once transferred to the new owners. It was indicated in the previous year that the executing authority will ensure auditing of these partnerships where necessary, in order to protect not only the interests of the farmers and farming communities but the sector as a whole. Forensic investigations are currently under-way for two companies that had strategic investor partnerships with five communities in Levubu and three farmer’s cooperatives in Tzaneen, Ba-Phalaborwa and Giyani.
The Integrated Poultry Development feasibility study that was commissioned in 2008 has been concluded and this will guide all interventions and investments directed towards poultry development in support of the White Meat Cluster. While production of volumes is still critical, the need has been realised to start focusing on the entire value chain, with a special focus on meat processing and feed production. The latter constitutes over 60% of the input costs and with the production inputs for one cycle of the 40 000 capacity house having reached a high of R800 000, the intervention has become even more urgent if the poultry industry should remain sustainable for the province.
During the previous year, five of the 40 000 capacity environmentally controlled houses were commissioned, one in Ba-Phalaborwa, one in Giyani, two in Makhado and the last one in Polokwane. The houses are able to produce seven cycles per annum, which implies that an additional 1.4 million birds are being produced per year while 25 permanent jobs have been created. About R22 million was spent on the poultry infrastructure. This constitutes 44% of the total CASP grant meant for infrastructural development.
The above delivery does not include the Lafata Youth Project that was put back into production during the year after the previous project owners were replaced with more entrepreneurial and committed youth. This was done to send a signal that government will not allow high value infrastructural investments to lie idle and deteriorate in the hands non-committed beneficiaries. The department will continue to demand a fair demonstration of the return on investment from farming operation on every cent that gets invested. While the department continues to refine the farmer selection criteria to ensure that the right people are settled the first time, we should be mindful of the fact that communities and most of the farmers acquiring land through land reform are self selecting and the LDA has no opportunity to influence that process at the moment.
Land reform programme has delivered a unique project that demonstrates the government’s will and intent to support the previously marginalised groups. The Kopano Disabled Project bought land through Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) programme in the Greater Marble Hall municipality. Out of the 12 disabled members, all are youth while 6 are women. The group has a demonstrated commitment since they started farming on land apportioned by the community prior acquiring the 170 ha property. LDA is currently working closely with the group to ensure continued sustainability and productivity of the project.
Over 500 000 hectares of land has been delivered through land reform to the Black farmers (e.g. LRAD) and black communities (e.g. restitution), to date. With this, the tools and basic resources for underpinning rural development are in the right hands. The main challenge facing those who have these resources in their hands is to be more committed and more proficient in their operations in the face of the economic down turn in order to ensure sustained food production. This is also a major challenge to the department and government as a whole to match the land delivered with comprehensive agricultural support that gets delivered at the right time to avoid any deterioration of the physical and biological assets as well as broader impact thereof.
The latter is a sad reality, necessitated by insufficient resources by the state to match the speed of land delivery and the limited capacity by the farmers to attract operational capital from financial institutions.
In response to our strategy for the white meat cluster, seven massive poultry houses will be delivered this year, four of which are in Sekhukhune (two in Moutse). Of the seven, two are youth owned and two are women owned.
The adoption of the Agricultural Development Strategy in 2007/08 by Limpopo Executive Council, paved the way for detail site specific planning in the development of Agricultural HUBS. In the context of the Limpopo Province, an Agricultural HUB is an area endowed with natural resources mainly water and appropriate land capability for economic projects development. The areas planned are Nandoni Hub supported by the Nandoni Dam and Madzivhandila Farmer Training Centre as well as Nebo Plateau Hub supported by Flag Boshielo Dam and Tompi Seleka Farmer Training Centre.
The development of a District Based Strategy, Agricultural HUB and Anchor projects for Capricorn District Municipality is underway. The total plan for the Lepelle-Nkumpi Agricultural HUB and Anchor projects in Aganang, Blouberg, Molemole, and Polokwane is expected to be completed by the third quarter of this financial year.
The introduction of extension recovery plan last year as part of CASP has improved working conditions of extension officers in the province through three pillars, Recruitment, Provision of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Human Resource Development. Two more pillars will be introduced during this financial year and those are visibility and professionalism.
Honourable speaker, a total number of 1742 households received production input packs. These comprise of egg layers, broilers, seed and fertiliser for homestead gardens.
In addition to the production inputs, the poor and vulnerable households were assisted with infrastructure, that include erection of broiler houses, piggery houses, installation of irrigation systems, electrification and equipping of boreholes.
For this financial year, an amount of R7.681 million has been earmarked for the development of infrastructure for the 24 micro enterprises aimed at enhancing food security to the vulnerable communities.
The department received R50 million for drought relief and veldfire victims’ assistance respectively during 2008/09 financial year. A total number of 47 531 farmers were assisted with livestock fodder and water infrastructure.
For this financial year the department has received R10 million for drought and veldfire disasters. The funds will be utilized to assist 29 093 farmer affected by drought and 474 farmers who were affected by veldfires.
Veterinary services are regulatory and conducted on a continuous basis. The following are achievement levels as far as disease management is concerned, anthrax at 126%, Foot and Mouth at 99%, brucellosis at 31% and rabies at 51%, dipping services at 117%.
For bio-security control measures, 69 km Red Line Fencing was erected creating 110 EPWP jobs at community level, including Muyexe village.
For the current financial year the Department has budgeted R2.4 million for Veterinary Services on vaccinations and dipping materials to combat disease outbreak and inspections to 84 abattoirs. About R3.9 million is budgeted for animal health infrastructure.
Our collaboration with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the University of Limpopo (UL) on the Nguni Cattle Project has gathered momentum. We are happy to announce that we have supported seven individuals and six co-operatives with 433 quality registered Nguni cattle to the value of R4.8 million.
For the 2009/10 financial year the department in partnership with our partners IDC and University of Limpopo will distribute a further 250 animals worth over R2.5 million, contributing to rural development and income generation.
Through Blouberg Integrated Livestock Enterprise Cooperative (BILEC) 110 kilometres fencing on grazing camps, 11 crush pens and feed storage for feedlot to the value of R4.3 million has been completed.
The department, in collaboration with Sekhukhune District municipality has established five integrated commercial goat projects along the Olifants River with an investment valued at R1.2 milion.
The department has facilitated the establishment of the Bapedi Sheep Breeders club which will register with the national breeders’ society.
To enhance aquaculture production and fishery enterprise, the department has rehabilitated 12 fish ponds at Turfloop Fish Breeding Station to the value of R2.3 million to supply 1.5 million fingerlings to emerging farmers.
A total of 100 projects from eight municipalities under the five districts in the province were provided with production inputs, mainly seed and fertilisers for the purpose of increasing food production to the value of R9 million.
For this financial year an amount of R10 million is budgeted for production inputs, to encourage farmers to go back to tilling the land and sustaining food production.
The department’s allocation for the 2009/10 is R1, 185 billion and will be distributed according to departmental programmes as in the Tables below.
Summary of Payments and Estimates per Programme: Agriculture 2009/10
LDA Budget Programmes: Programme one: Administration
R million: 229,592
LDA Budget Programmes: Programme two: Sustainable Resource Management
R million: 148,273
LDA Budget Programmes: Programme three: Farmer Support and Development
R million: 662,250
LDA Budget Programmes: Programme four: Veterinary services
R million: 20,868
LDA Budget Programmes: Programme five: Technology Research and Development
R million: 35,621
LDA Budget Programmes: Programme six: Agricultural Economics
R million: 45,639
LDA Budget Programmes: Programme seven: Structured Agricultural Training
R million: 42,867
Total payments and estimates:
1,185,110
Agriculture remains a complex business and the increasing cost price squeeze will compel many to review their production techniques and production systems to remain competitive and relevant.
Honourable speaker, we thus need tough, innovative and creative agribusiness entrepreneurs to match the new risks faced and make a mark and compete with the best in the world. The Department will support where possible with the resources allocated to us.
The department has established over the past four years, a tradition of good practices and may I take this opportunity to thank all the staff of the Department who contributed to striving to make our efforts recognisable.
Honourable speaker, it is still “Nothing about us without us”
“Lehumo Le Tšwa Tšhemong”
“Hu duba buse”
“Xandla famba Xandla vuya’’ and
“´n Boer maak ´n plan”
I thank you!
