The minister of agriculture and economic development in the Western Cape, Dr Ivan Meyer, recently tabled a R1-billion budget for the 2025/2026 financial year. He said the budget is in response to premier Alan Winde‘s State of the Province Address, where he called for the province to step up.
Meyer said agriculture in the Western Cape has played a significant role, contributing 11% to the gross domestic product (GDP), highlighting its vital importance to the economy.
“It’s worth noting that agriculture is not just a significant contributor to our economy. Still, it is also the most competitive sector in the economies of each of the five rural districts, with tourism, which has strong agricultural foundations and is closely followed as the second most competitive sector. This highlights the industry’s potential and growth.
“About 66% of the value of Western Cape agricultural production is exported; eight of the ten the biggest export products from the Western Cape have an agricultural foundation.”
Dr Ivan Meyer
Boost provincial agriculture
Meyer said animal health continues to play a crucial role in maintaining the well-being of both animals and humans in the Western Cape.
“By enforcing the set standards for the surveillance and monitoring of animal diseases, the Western Cape prevented the outbreaks of foot-and-mouth Disease and highly pathogenic avian influenza.
“The outbreak of rabies in seals resulted in the enforcement of the One Health multidisciplinary approach, which integrated multiple institutions co-led by the departments of health and wellness, environmental affairs and development planning, and agriculture,” he said.
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Meyer said part of stepping up research efforts would focus on primary production, increasing yield, and reducing cost through climate-smart plant and animal production technologies.
“The Western Cape department of agriculture has also signed a groundbreaking partnership with CASEIH to advance research and technology development in agriculture. This partnership will boost research and precision farming at seven research farms in the Western Cape and pave the way for economic growth and job creation,” he said.
Meyer presented the budget of R1 021 484 000 for 2025/2026, with a chunk of it going to agriculture producer support and development.
“Western Cape’s Growth for Jobs strategy is given laser sharp focus through my ministerial priorities, which are: agriculture support, business support, food security and nutrition, and market access,” he said.
Meanwhile, Western Cape spokesperson on agriculture and member of the provincial legislature, Noko Masipa, said the provincial government is listening before it can act, and it invests in potential rather than extracting from the poor.
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