2. TERMS OF REFERENCE

2.1 Background On 8 July 2014, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (hereinafter referred to as the Department) was requested by the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) to present its Strategic Plan, Annual Performance Plans and Budget as required by the Public Finance Management Act (Act, No. 1 of 1999). In its presentation, the Department reported planned activities for the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period with specific focus on the previously disadvantaged smallholder sector in agriculture, forestry and fisheries. During the deliberations, concerns were raised regarding baseline data for some of the reported targets as well as the impact of the reportedly achieved targets on service delivery.

On 29 July 2014, the Department briefed the Committee on its 2013/14 third and fourth quarterly performance and expenditure reports. After the briefing, a unanimous resolution was taken by Committee Members that as September is the beginning of the planting season, the Committee should consider undertaking an oversight visit to some of the provinces during this time to oversee the Department's implementation of programmes and activities that are associated with the planting process e.g. Fetsa Tlala and Ilima/letsema. Due to changes in the Parliamentary Programme, the Committee was granted permission to undertake the oversight visit from 24 - 26 November 2014.

2.2 Objectives of the Oversight

The purpose of the oversight visit was to oversee: . the implementation of the Fetsa Tlala Food Production Initiative that was introduced by the President in 2013 to address immediate household food insecurity; . support that is given to smallholder and subsistence producers for enhanced food production at national and household level through programmes such as the Comprehensive Agriculture Support Programme (CASP) and Ilima/Letsema; . the state of readiness for the implementation of the Smallscale Fisheries Policy, which is aimed at benefiting previously disadvantaged coastal communities some of whom rely mainly on fisheries resources for livelihood; . the effectiveness in which the Department's Mechanisation Programme funds were utilised in KZN and to determine whether the Mechanisation Programme was making a positive difference in the lives of people on the ground - value for money; and . progress made on the development of infrastructure such as irrigation schemes, fences, farm buildings, roads, etc.