for 2007/08 financial year
18 May 2007
The Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs, Ms Lulu Xingwana, today
presented her Budget Vote speech in Parliament, Cape Town. The emphasis was on
areas such as massification of livestock, empowerment, resuscitation of
projects, a special purpose vehicle and land redistribution.
Regarding livestock massification, the Minister said that this is being done
through improved reproductive efficiencies, growth and development, nutrition,
genetic improvement and maintenance of genetic diversity which have been made
possible by the implementation of the animal improvement schemes, currently
managed by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC).
The Minister also indicated that the turnaround strategy for projects on
which emerging black farming communities were resettled is being addressed. In
fact, one of the projects the Tshivhase Tea Estate in Limpopo will have its
first harvest in October.
The Minister also announced that the Department has completed a long awaited
draft strategy for biofuels. According to the strategy estimates are made of a
10 million ton crop production from three million cultivated hectares per
growing season, of which two million hectares will be in the former homeland
areas.
Over the last eight months, the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Affairs has
reflected on the option of establishing a special purpose vehicle to accelerate
the pace of land reform. This will be a one stop shop for all land and
agricultural support services for land reform beneficiaries.
Furthermore, the Minister put emphasis on the lawfulness of the country's
Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) programme. She said the
strategies to implement the speeding of the settlement of outstanding rural
claims include shortening the project cycle, delegations to commissioners for
the finalisation of claims, elimination of protracted negotiations by
expropriation, batching of claims with similar circumstances, continued
engagement with sector unions and landowners, consulting with traditional
authorities and Houses of Traditional Leaders and working closely with other
State departments and municipalities.
For further information contact:
Priscilla Tsotso Sehoole
Chief of Communications
Department of Agriculture
Tel: 012 319 7317
Fax: 012 319 7858
Cell: 083 265 8728
E-mail: smais@nda.agric.za
Issued by: Ministry of Agriculture and Land Affairs
18 May 2007
