The newly-elected Free State premier, Mxolisi Dukwana, has flagged agriculture as a solution for youth unemployment in the Free State. But in order for this to happen, several issues plaguing the sector must be addressed.
Delivering his first State of the Province Address (Sopa), Dukwana said, “The Free State has always prided itself on its agricultural sector and its contribution to the provincial economic activity.”
However, agriculture in the province needed to be better protected and developed, Dukwana pointed out.
State of roads prioritised
As a result, Dukwana allocated a budget of R9 billion to improve road infrastructure in the province. He said it was important that road service delivery processes be improved.
Farmers in the province have flagged on several occasions the deteriorating state of roads, forcing some to step in and fix it themselves.
“International best practices have shown that road construction can happen in a more efficient and effective manner. The Free State provincial government will be exploring the implementation of solutions such as 24-hour road construction,” he said.
Dukwana also vowed to address the backlog of road maintenance in the province. He said roads in Ficksburg and Bothaville would take priority. R1 billion has been allocated to fix the R26 road which links Ladybrand and Bethlem, as well as R70 linking Ficksburg and Rosendal.
The province has also allocated a budget of R771 million to the maintenance of infrastructure in the Thabo Mofutsanyana district municipality, R220 million to Fezile Dabi, R217 million for Xhariep, R165 million for Mangauang, and R125 million to Lejweleputswa.
Focus on farm crimes and farmworkers
Dukwana acknowledged the high crime rate on farms in the province. According to Dukwana, in the past two years the province had only reported 12 cases of stock theft and incidents on farms.
“This category of crime must remain a particular focus area as we intensify our cooperation with all stakeholders to improve the safety and security in our rural areas,” he said.
The rights of farmworkers also featured in his speech. According to Dukwana, many farmworkers have to come up against illegal evictions. He promised a mechanism to best handle farm evictions going forward.
Regarding last year’s report on the land tenure acquisition programme in March 2022, he explained that 139 farms had already been established in the province.
“The audit of unused and under-utilised land owned by the provincial government must be finalised to enable the provincial government to make land available for redistribution.”
Initiatives to curb food insecurity
Dukwana also pointed to the importance of the Rekgaba ka Diratswana Food Security Program, explaining that it was meant to support local commercial farmers. A total of 700 households have benefitted from the program, he said.
“These households were supported with various agricultural essentials meant to eradicate food insecurity. This programme will be supplemented by a new concept, the Production Brigade, something we are exploring with the ministry of defence and military veterans and the South African National Defence Force.”
Dukwana explained that the programme would focus on the production of green produce, red and white meat, and open up opportunities to participate in the entire value chain.
READ NEXT: How ‘broken’ municipalities impact agriculture
Sign up for Mzansi Today: Your daily take on the news and happenings from the agriculture value chain.
