• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Lifestyle
Shrinking budgets: ‘Black farmers cut off at the knees’

Shrinking budgets: ‘Black farmers cut off at the knees’

24th July 2020
Willem Booise (left) is a trustee and has won the industry’s Specialist Agricultural Worker of the Year award in 2018. Photo: Supplied/Hortgro

Fruit farm shows there’s power in transformation

11th August 2022
Many people love avocados, but did you know that the introduction of just one of these fruits per day can improve the overall quality of your diet? Photo: Pixabay

An avocado a day can keep the doctor away

10th August 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Davidzo Chizhengeni, animal scientist, founder of KvD livestock, Ika Cronje, farmer and participant in the Corteva Women Agripreneur 2022 programme, Vuyokazi Makapela, a Director at Afrivet, and permaculture farmer, Stephanie Mullins. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Podcast: Prevent rabies with vaccination

10th August 2022
Control and prevent downy mildew on crops

Control and prevent downy mildew on crops

10th August 2022
The value of South Africa’s informal farming sector is understated, experts say, and many farmers say that they prefer trading to this segment of the economy. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

New farmer? Informal markets ‘the way to go’

10th August 2022
Gauteng police recovered and confiscated sheep and goats in Sedibeng this week. Photo: Supplied/SAPS

ICYMI: Police recover stolen livestock

10th August 2022
Ecological farming the answer to food insecurity

Ecological farming the answer to food insecurity

9th August 2022
Setting up a regenerative smallholding

Setting up a regenerative smallholding

9th August 2022
Determination drives this #SoilSista to succeed

Determination drives this #SoilSista to succeed

9th August 2022
The women who dared to start farming in Mzansi when few others would. Photo: Food For Mzansi

She bosses: ‘We see farming changing for good’

9th August 2022
Refiloe Molefe has vowed to build a new urban farm after the City of Johannesburg bulldozed the site she built in Bertrams. Photo: Supplied/GroundUp

ICYMI: Mama Fifi determined to rise again

9th August 2022
Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

8th August 2022
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
11 GLOBAL MEDIA AWARDS
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Food For Mzansi
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
    • All
    • AgriCareers
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Farmers
    • Groundbreakers
    • Innovators
    • Inspiration
    • It Takes a Village
    • Mentors
    • Movers and Shakers
    • Partnerships
    Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

    Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

    Claire and Martin Joubert have sacrificed and struggled to become top breeders of Ankole cattle in South Africa. But giving up was never an option, because they wanted to offer only the very best Ankole genetics in the country. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Farming couple lives and breathes Ankole cattle

    Tackling climate change, one tree at a time

    Agricareers: Veterinary science not for the timid

    Agricareers: Veterinary science not for the timid

    Once struggling farm now a family heirloom

    Optimal yields now at farmers’ finger tips

    Some of the children with the ECD practitioner Yolanda Shabalala. Zero2Five Trust promotes holistic Early Childhood Development in formerly disadvantaged areas by improving learners’ health and education outcomes with nutrition and education programmes. Photo: Supplied/Zero2Five Trust

    Zero2Five: Giving hope to KZN flood victims

    Agripreneur 101: Kupisa Sauce is going places

    Agripreneur 101: Kupisa Sauce is going places

    Ncumisa Mkabile, is a farmer, community activist that has won numerous awards for her work in agriculture. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Farmer, influencer, go-getter – Ncumisa’s all that

  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
No Result
View All Result
Food For Mzansi

Shrinking budgets: ‘Black farmers cut off at the knees’

by Sinesipho Tom
24th July 2020
in News
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
Shrinking budgets: ‘Black farmers cut off at the knees’

"Are we really serious about land reform? Are we really serious about establishing a new co-op of black, commercial farmers? And are we really serious about food security?" asks Agri SA's Christo van der Rheede following severe government budget cuts. Photo: Medium

Food security, land redistribution and restitution programmes have been cut at the knees as covid-19 induced budget cuts threatens to jeopardise the agricultural sector’s fundamental duties.

Source: Twitter
Minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development, Thoko Didiza. Photo: DALRRD

Thoko Didiza, minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development, presented her department’s adjusted budget in the National Assembly earlier this week, and the sector is struggling to come to terms with the implications thereof.

The initial February budget allocation of R16.8 billion was reduced to R14.4 billion during finance minister Tito Mboweni’s special supplementary budget in June last month.

ADVERTISEMENT

Didiza says the greatest portion of the cuts of R1.89 billion was in the programmes which were to deliver on food security, land redistribution and restitution. The food security programme had cuts of R939 million, land redistribution and tenure reform R544 million and land restitution R403 million.

A blow for small-scale farmer development

Allocations for the Ilima-Letsema and Comprehensive Agriculture Support Programme (CASP) programmes have also been reduced. This means that in the current financial year, provinces will receive lesser allocations for producer support, production, and infrastructure.

Christo van der Rheede, the deputy executive director at Agri SA. Photo: Supplied

Agri SA deputy executive director Christo van der Rheede tells Food For Mzansi they are concerned about the budget cuts. The Ilima and CASP programmes are critical for the upscaling of up-and-coming farmers.

“The CASP and Ilima systems are critical for small-scale farmers because they provide production assistance for the next season. They also assist with infrastructure development on farms where emerging farmers operate.”

Van der Rheede says the whopping R1.89 billion budget cut on food security, land redistribution and restitution programmes is another heavy blow to the sector.

“The president announced that agriculture should be prioritised as a game-changer when it comes to economic development as it creates employment and is a huge driver of food security. But these drastic budgets cuts contradict his previous sentiments.”

The agricultural leader says, though, he understands that money must be channelled towards immediate coronavirus relief and as well as welfare relief. “We need to always try to balance welfare and wealth creation because money can’t last you that long.”

He adds that South Africa needs continuous income streams that can only be generated through economic activities. “So, if the government takes away money that is critical for small-scale farmers that play a huge role in food security in deep rural areas and the former homeland areas, it is going to catch up with them eventually.”

Prioritise the Land Bank over SAA

Didiza also announced that the R100 million that was set aside for commercial farmers was affected by the challenges at the Land Bank. Van der Rheede says this will only exacerbate the Agri-bank’s financial woes. “The Land Bank is in serious financial trouble and they play a significant role in developing farmers and enabling farmers to produce food for this country.”

ADVERTISEMENT
The money used to save the beleaguered South African Airways would’ve been better invested in agriculture, argues Agri SA’s Christo van der Rheede. Photo: Supplied

Van der Rheede asks, “Now my big question to the government is, ‘Don’t you think that the Land Bank should actually be assisted much more than institutions such as South African Airways? Are we really serious about land reform? Are we really serious about establishing a new co-op of black, commercial farmers? And are we really serious about food security or do we want to keep an airline that is just there to cater for the needs of the political elite?”

“A national carrier is a waste of money. We can fly much cheaper with all of the other airlines.” – CHRISTO VAN DER RHEEDE

He adds that the country’s biggest challenge remains eradicating poverty in rural areas. “You only lift people out of poverty if you invest in rural infrastructure, if you invest in rural agriculture, if you invest in rural agro-processing and also invest in exports. Just make sure people comply with the necessary standards to export to the rest of the world. That is where you will make a lot of money for your business and that will obviously have a spill-over effect on employment and higher wages.”

Dr John Purchase, Agbiz CEO
Dr John Purchase, the CEO of Agbiz. Photo: Supplied

Dr John Purchase, chief executive of Agbiz, has mixed views about the budget cuts. He explains that budget cuts in Didiza’s department will impact the service delivery of the agricultural sector.

However, he believes it will also create the opportunity to re-establish the priorities and core functions that the department need to deliver to ensure that the sector remains competitive and contributes significantly to national and household food security.

Purchase says the cuts are understandable given the fiscal pressure government is experiencing due to a very constrained economy, amongst other factors, with zero-based budgeting being implemented for the 2021-2022 financial year.

“It will challenge the department to become far more efficient in delivery of their core functions to industry and the country. There certainly is room for considerable improvement,” he says.

Elmarie Rabe, the manager of Stellenbosch Wine Routes. Photo: Supplied

Direct impact on the tourism industry

Elmarie Rabe, manager of Stellenbosch Wine Routes, tells Food For Mzansi the budgets cut also have a direct impact on the tourism industry.

“Each and every business within a tourism destination either directly or indirectly is affected by any budget cuts that provide support for our most vulnerable parts of society. It just makes sense to open tourism for us to continue to support and care for our communities. Without an income we cannot fill the gap.”

Tags: AgbizAgri SAagriculture budget cutsCASPChristo van der RheedeDALRRDDr John PurchaseElmarie RabeFood SecurityIlimaLand Bankland redistribution and restitutionSAAStellenbosch Wine RoutesThoko DidizaTourism
Previous Post

4 things happening in SA agri today, 24 July 2020

Next Post

Liewe Lulu: Silent giant makes me miss my late husband…

Sinesipho Tom

Sinesipho Tom

Sinesipho Tom is an audience engagement journalist at Food for Mzansi. Before joining the team, she worked in financial and business news at Media24. She has an appetite for news reporting and has written articles for Business Insider, Fin24 and Parent 24. If you could describe Sinesipho in a sentence you would say that she is a small-town girl with big, big dreams.

Related Posts

The South African population has experienced year-on-year growth for the past 20 years and is now estimated to be at 60.6 million people. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

60m. mouths to feed: ‘We’ve got you, Mzansi’

by Tiisetso Manoko
8th August 2022
0

South Africa now has more than 60 million citizens needing to eat. Experts weigh in on whether farmers will be...

Mzansi's wool farmers and exporters fear a repeat of the last export ban to their biggest market, which lasted eight months. Photo: Supplied/Cape Wools SA

Pleas for intervention on devastating wool ban

by Staff Reporter
4th August 2022
0

In case you missed it: Two leading organisations are calling for the SA government to step in and prevent devastation...

Land reform: Why post-settlement support is key

Land reform: Why post-settlement support is key

by Peter Setou
2nd August 2022
0

As Mzansi's agricultural sector continues to grow, it's imperative to give beneficiaries of the country's land reform programme support to...

Once struggling farm now a family heirloom

by Tiisetso Manoko
1st August 2022
0

Once a neglected piece of land, the Katoo family farm, Threepence, is now a hub of activity made possible by...

Next Post
farmer, woman, friendship rules, girl code, liewe lulu

Liewe Lulu: Silent giant makes me miss my late husband…

Control and prevent downy mildew on crops
Advertorial

Control and prevent downy mildew on crops

by Nicole Ludolph
10th August 2022
0

ADVERTORIAL: Broccoli and cauliflower farmers need to watch out for downy mildew, a plant fungus common in wet conditions. Simon...

Read more
The value of South Africa’s informal farming sector is understated, experts say, and many farmers say that they prefer trading to this segment of the economy. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

New farmer? Informal markets ‘the way to go’

10th August 2022
Gauteng police recovered and confiscated sheep and goats in Sedibeng this week. Photo: Supplied/SAPS

ICYMI: Police recover stolen livestock

10th August 2022
Ecological farming the answer to food insecurity

Ecological farming the answer to food insecurity

9th August 2022
Setting up a regenerative smallholding

Setting up a regenerative smallholding

9th August 2022

Podcast: Prevent rabies with vaccination

New farmer? Informal markets ‘the way to go’

Tackling climate change, one tree at a time

Women farmers bolster Tiger Brands value chain

Fruit farm shows there’s power in transformation

Determination drives this #SoilSista to succeed

THE NEW FACE OF SOUTH AFRICAN AGRICULTURE

With 12 global awards in the first three years of its existence, Food For Mzansi is much more than an agriculture publication. It is a movement, unashamedly saluting the unsung heroes of South African agriculture. We believe in the power of agriculture to promote nation building and social cohesion by telling stories that are often overlooked by broader society.

Fruit farm shows there’s power in transformation

An avocado a day can keep the doctor away

Podcast: Prevent rabies with vaccination

Control and prevent downy mildew on crops

New farmer? Informal markets ‘the way to go’

ICYMI: Police recover stolen livestock

  • Our Story
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright

Contact us
Office: +27 21 879 1824
News: info@foodformzansi.co.za
Advertising: sales@foodformzansi.co.za

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought

Copyright © 2021 Food for Mzansi

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.