C Dowry: Information Day (Afrikaans)

3 October 2006

Op 14 November 2003 is Landbou met sy volledige waardeketting geïdentifiseer
as een van die sleutelsektore in die ontwikkeling van strategieë wat 'n bydrae
moet maak in die ekonomiese groei in die Wes-Kaap. Een van die belangrikste
vereistes was dat die vier sosiale vennote, nl. regering, besigheid, arbeid en
burgerlike samelewing ook deel van die proses moes wees wat hierdeur die nodige
erkenning verleen aan die belangrike rol wat elkeen van die vennote in die
ekonomie van die Wes-Kaap speel.

A task team under the guidance of Dr Dirk Troskie, from our programme
Agricultural Economics was established. It is the first and only strategy that
has been completed after a process that started soon after the elections of
April 2004.

Die feit dat die strategie nie minder nie as 90 aksieplanne bevat is 'n
teken van die verskeidenheid van Landbou en Landboubesigheid en die uitdagings
en potensiaal wat daar binne hierdie sektor opgesluit lê, beide om nuwe stukrag
aan die ekonomie te verleen en die klimaat en meganismes te skep wat sal bydra
tot die verbetering van die kwaliteit van lewe van ons mense.

The eight themes as set out in the document forms the basis of the strategy
and are not only in synergy with the programs and emphasis of the Department of
Agriculture but it is either in line with the objectives of Accelerated and
Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA) or it will support these
objectives in reaching a growth rate of 6%.

We are pleased that as a Department we are already in a position where we
have started re-aligning ourselves to meet the specific challenges on:
a) land reform and agricultural Black Economic Empowerment (BEE)
b) human resource development (HRD), social and farm worker issues
c) competitiveness in agricultural marketing, market development and market
access
d) infrastructure
e) research and development (technical and economic)
f) extension and farmer support
g) the natural environment, food safety and food security
h) institutional development.

In 'n poging om opkomende boere te vestig en die ongelykhede van die verlede
uit te wis, is die programme van die Departement grootliks op die transformasie
van die landbousektor as geheel gefokus en moet ons baie sterk klem plaas op
die behoorlike vestiging van hierdie nuwe boere.

Die rol van kommersiële boere mag egter nooit in die proses onderskat word
nie en daarom kan die belangrikheid van navorsing as ondersteuning vir
kommersiële boere nooit oorbeklemtoon word nie. Ek glo dat dit die plig van die
regering is om te sorg dat ons deur navorsing aan die voorpunt bly. Navorsing
en die toepassing van resultate het nie net direkte invloed op die bedryf nie,
maar die ontwikkeling van die waardeketting help om ook meer werksgeleenthede
te skep.

Research and Development addresses three pillars of iKapa Elihlumayo, i.e.
micro-economic strategy, building human capital with the emphasis on youth and
a spatial development framework for the province, whereby the challenges of the
first and second economy are also addressed. It was with this in mind that we
allocated R45,924 million for our programme Technology Research and
Development, in the annual budget of the Department this year.

The research budget of R24,8 million is allocated in the following way:
Animal Production (R9,7 million), Plant Production (R10,765) and Resource
Utilisation (R3,03 million).

A total number of 172 research projects are executed by 140 staff members,
including seven specialist researchers.

We all know that the Western Cape faces enormous challenges with regard to
climate change. The Department has therefore aligned itself, especially with
regard to water management and resource utilisation strategies, to keep abreast
of these challenges. The climate change programme includes focus areas such as
research on sustainable crop rotation and alternative farming systems,
alternative crops, research on the effective use of irrigation water,
alternative water resource management initiatives, remote sensing and disaster
alleviation, development of non-explored water resources, the eradication of
invader plants and the use of satellite information in climate forecasts and
crop predictions, to name a few.

The Department is furthermore presently compiling its own climate change
response strategy as part of the total Climate Change Strategy of the province.
As an initial endeavour in this regard, the Department has funded a baseline
study with the title “A status quo, vulnerability and adaptation assessment of
the physical and socio-economic effects of climate change in the Western Cape”,
which was completed in June 2005.

Ek is opgewonde oor die program vir die ontwikkeling van
vleisbeesweidingproduksiestelsels wat hier op Outeniqua van stapel gestuur is.
Die verdere ontwikkeling van die program sal baie bydra om nog meer in die
behoeftes van opkomende boere in die area aan te voorsien.

Vleisbeesweidingsproduksiestelsels is veral belangrik teen die agtergrond
van die toenemende diefstal van skape, hoë kapitale investering van nuwe
melkerye, afskaling van die groentebedryfstak en die lewensvatbaarheid van
alternatiewe bedrywe in die Suid-Kaap.

Die ontwikkeling van nuwe produksiestelsels om die
weidingsproduksiepotensiaal en weikapasiteit van die vleisbeesproduksie-eenheid
te verhoog sonder dat addisionele grond benodig word, is dus van onskatbare
waarde.

Small stock has provided South Africa and in particular Western Cape farmers
with a stable, reliable income over years. The advent of international trade
and industry regulations, however, has resulted in severe restrictions on the
usage of environmentally unfriendly agrochemicals.

Taking research information through the farm gate in a “palatable” format,
especially to the emerging farmer, is of utmost importance in ensuring
sustainability of our farmers. The Programme Technology, Research and
Development are presently compiling new information packages on an array of
research topics, and with specific focus on the different audiences of
agriculture. A Manual on Ostrich Production has recently been compiled by
experts from the Department and will serve as a blueprint and reference source
for successful ostrich farming in South Africa.

Ontledings deur die Analitiese Laboratorium vorm deel van 'n totale
inligtingspakkie van die Program Tegnologie, Navorsing en Ontwikkeling, wat ook
onder andere bemestingsadvies, besproeiingsadvies en patologiese en
entomologiese dienste insluit.

Die analitiese laboratorium van die Departement ontleed meer as 30 000
grond-, plant- en watermonsters jaarliks en is 'n onontbeerlike diens aan
boere, adviseurs en ander rolspelers. Omdat hierdie laboratorium ook 'n
kritiese rol gaan speel in die strategie van die Departement om die nadelige
effekte van klimaatsverandering op landbou in die Wes-Kaap te buffer, is daar
vanjaar toerusting van nagenoeg R2 miljoen vervang om steeds op die voorpunt
van die nuutste ontledingstegnologie te bly.

U sien dus dat hierdie program Navorsing en Ontwikkeling 'n baie belangrike
rol speel binne die totale bydrae van Landbou tot die die groei en ontwikkeling
van die provinsie. Ek wil afsluit deur die personeel van Outeniqua te bedank
vir hulle toewyding, nie net aan landbou nie, maar ook aan die mense van
hierdie streek. Ek wil verder die hoop uitspreek dat u almal baat sal vind by
dit wat ons vandag hier vir u gaan aanbied, sodat u hier sal weggaan in die
wete dat ons saam met u wil verseker dat landbou daarin sal slaag om sy primêre
doel te dien, naamlik om kos op die tafel te sit in die tuiste vir almal in die
Wes-Kaap.

Navrae:
Alie van Jaarsveld
Tel: (021) 483 4930
Fax: (021) 483 3890
Cell: 084 604 6701
E-mail: avjaarsv@pgwc.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Western Cape Provincial
Government
3 October 2006