End of term: Minister Didiza reflects on her legacy

In six weeks, agriculture, land reform and rural development minister Thoko Didiza will clear her desk as the sixth cabinet will be dissolved ahead of the much-anticipated national and provincial elections on 29 May.

Having served in the portfolio of agriculture and rural development from 1994 as a deputy minister, she went on to become the minister for two terms and her rich knowledge and experience of the country’s agricultural landscape would surely be missed.

In an exclusive interview with Food For Mzansi, Didiza said her term as the minister was successful, notwithstanding the challenges that came with it. She believes she went beyond the call of duty in trying to ensure Mzansi is food secure.

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Sinenhlanhla Mncwango: Reflecting on your term as minister of agriculture, what do you consider to be your greatest accomplishments and successes in advancing the agricultural sector?

Thoko Didiza: There are a couple of successes that I can relate to. One for me has been to really go back in contact with the producers and agribusinesses and formulate forward-looking plans in terms of the growth of the sector, which was the Agricultural and Agro-processing Master Plan that we worked on during Covid-19 times. We produced a unified plan for the sector on how we can grow it and grow it more inclusively.

Secondly, we have worked hard in opening up market access. Our apples have landed in India and we are already giving them hard competition. We also opened a beef market in Saudi Arabia and China, and we have increased our fruit footprint globally. We are now in Vietnam, which is the latest. We have also opened Japan for avocado and in China.

For me, this has been one of the greatest terms of office.

On the policy front, the development of the land beneficiary selection policy which targets young people, women, and people with disabilities. In terms of land allocation by the state, it is one of our major milestones because while our policy was good and generic and transformative, it now targets young people as a group. This is in terms of how we can support them through land acquisition.

I would say that in terms of my five years, there are many other things I would like to do.

For two years I was chair of the specialised technical commission of agriculture and environment and water of the African Union.

It happened during the time of Covid-19 when we were able to martial our forces as the continent to ensure that we do not close our borders for the movement of food, so that even during the containment of the disease during the shutdown strategies that were employed, citizens still had access to food.

What challenges did you encounter during your tenure, and how did you address them? Are there any challenges that remain unresolved?

Challenges I faced, on one hand, have been to try and continue with the work that has been done in the past, to resolve some of those where some of the projects were not complete, and complete them. Even though some of them are still outstanding because of the complexities that are there.

I had to make sure that the cabinet approved farmer support policy so that it guides the entirety of the sector and provinces.

Another challenge is how to position agriculture to adapt quickly in addressing issues of climate change. It is not just about El Niño or La Niña when there are rains or floods. It’s also about new pests and diseases that are emerging and that is a challenge we are working on.

Can you discuss any initiatives or policies implemented to support small-scale farmers and rural communities during your time in office?

We have the comprehensive agricultural support programme and the provincial stimulus initiative, and it has assisted us in supporting subsistence producers. We have programmes that support farmers with inputs that are done in the different provinces, and essential advisory as well as trading that is being done.

Sometimes support to farmers is not only financial but also about enabling them through the information that will position them better in accessing markets, and what they need to do in terms of the compliance issues that they have to address.

What measures have been taken to enhance food security and ensure access to nutritious food for all citizens?

Food security is achieved through the capacity to produce and, at the same time, it’s the purchasing power to be able to acquire that food.

Our national food security programme is not just agricultural-based, but we work with our line function departments like social development because some of our people may have not learned to produce and may not even have the purchasing power. And this is where food parcels from social development acts as a social security net.

The grants that social development gives for social relief, as well as the normal grants given to the elderly and the children and disabled are interventions as part of the social security net so that people do not go hungry.

On our side, assisting farmers with inputs so that on a small-scale level they can produce for their household is one of the bedrocks that support food security.

How have you addressed issues related to climate change and its impact on agriculture?

Working with the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), one of its initiatives is about improving our seed varieties that are drought-resistant and [with a] short span of production. And looking at other varieties of cultivars that can be brought into the agricultural space which would diversely support farmers for food security purposes, but also market access processes.

Research development is fundamental in terms of the work that we do, but we also work with academia, particularly if you look at the University of Pretoria and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Some of the work we have been doing has been making sure that we tackle the challenges of plant health and animal health issues.

The other one has been looking at different production methods that are going to help farmers deal with issues of climate change. Provinces like Mpumalanga have been innovative with their climate-smart boxes, and agroecological systems are now being used by people who do not have to do intense tilling of their soil and can plant without removing the ecosystem that is there. This process promotes moisture and ensures that the environment is well protected.

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