C Dowry: Launch of Elusive Harvest

5 February 2009

It is wonderful to be here at this historical and somewhat unusual event for
me, to launch a book that is written on the experiences and lessons learnt in
the quest to assist small farmers, a special group of people within the
agricultural sector. Over the past five years I have become accustomed to the
launch of many projects in our delivery programme aimed at improving the
quality of life of those people that never had the opportunity to own their own
piece of land, from which they could derive an income and in this way take care
of themselves and their families, but I have never had the opportunity to
officiate in an event like this.

I must also just mention that when I had to leave school in standard seven
because my parents did not have the means to keep me in school, and before I
furthered my studies to obtain my masters degree and ultimately became the MEC
for Agriculture, I would never have dreamt that I would one day have such an
honour bestowed on me to launch a book by an author with such a vast experience
in the field of agriculture and its socio–economic impact on the poorest of the
poor.

I am extremely proud of the fact that I at least have two things in common
with Dr. David Catling and that is that we both have links with Tulbach, where
I am presently living and where he started farming at the age of twenty, after
he completed a two year diploma at the Elsenburg College for Agriculture and
secondly that I obtained my masters degree in Theological Ethics at
Potchefstroom University, where he completed his PhD in Entomology.

It is also good to know that the book contains various inputs from people
that were either linked to the Western Cape Department of Agriculture or who
are presently still with us. I see that in the index acknowledgements of
certain publications by Mr Marius Paulse and the Head of Department (HOD) Ms
Joyene Isaacs are referred to.

When I picked this book up for the first time and paged through it, the
significance of this work jumped at me when I read the following words on page
two, and I would like to quote one paragraph to you.
“Many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has recently disappeared from the
South African scene without leaving behind a thorough record and evaluation of
their work. Thus the first objective of the book is to put together a coherent
record of the Land Development Units (LDUs) activities. During its lifetime it
was not able to write up this experience. The second major objective is to pass
on what was learned during 12 eventful years to others engaged with
agricultural and rural development. The book is also to be used as a training
aid and reference for government officers and other students of
agriculture”.

Immediately the words of the poet and writer Maya Angelou sprang to mind,
when she wrote and I quote: “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be
unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again”.

I was also reminded of the words of the American author Alice Walker when
she wrote: “One thing that never ceases to amaze me, along with the growth of
vegetation from the earth and of hair from the head, is the growth of
understanding.

I believe that this book serves a threefold purpose, namely the important
role that NGOs have to play in our partnerships with outside organisations, the
importance of the history of the struggle to empower people and the lessons
learnt from that and finally very important practical experiences that we can
apply in our own programmes with regard to small farmers and their role in our
fight against poverty, and food insecurity.

In the book Dr Catling succeeds in giving us full insight of the activities
of the LDU as an NGO, concentrating on small farmers and their battle for land,
funding, knowledge and sustainability. As I have indicated, we believe very
strongly in partnerships with NGOs and we have high regard for the work that
our partners are doing to the extent that we have spent almost R13 million over
the past five years through funding of NGOs that are assisting our farm workers
and small scale farmers in various programmes.

The relevance of an elusive harvest is also demonstrated in the LDUs
involvement in the community of Leliefontein. I will be visiting Leliefontein
on Monday, where the department is supporting small farmers and the community.
Since 2004 our department and the Department of Land Affairs have spent more
than R1,6 million on implements, fencing material, boreholes irrigation
equipment and electrical infrastructure.

Program director, this publication is indeed a book of great value to all of
us in the agricultural community as we need to take from the past and build the
future, ensuring that we don’t repeat the mistakes that are behind us, but
create hope for those who are in dire need of education and guidance.

The significance of the book is captured in the comments by Emeritus
Professor of the school of Economics at UCT when he says:” This is an important
book: one of the first in-depth (and unflinchingly honest) accounts of the
‘second struggle’ from political freedom to economic liberation essential
reading for anybody seeking to overcome the poverty which continues to plague
South Africa.”

I want to congratulate you on the book and trust that it will serve the
purpose that you envisage it to serve.

For enquiries contact:
Alie van Jaarsveld
Cell: 084 604 6701

Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Western Cape Provincial
Government
5 February 2009