Whether her department has its own target for job growth within the agriculture sector; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Yes, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development DALRRD) has signed a social compact, the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP) in May 2022. In summary the AAMP is a sectoral growth strategy that sets out a series of immediate and medium-term actions needed to enable inclusive growth and sustainable job creation in the agriculture and rural economies. In partnership with business ...
Whether her department has taken any steps to contribute towards the efforts to create employment; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) how will the agriculture sector contribute to job growth and (b) what number of jobs were created in the sector since 1 January 2023?
Yes.
a) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) is responsible for creating an environment that is conducive for businesses in the sector to thrive and grow. Growth in employment numbers is among others a factor of investments made in the sector, which include expansions of areas under cultivation/production, farming equipment, and machinery as well as access to markets. The conducive ...
(1)Given the historical significance of the community of Enon in the Eastern Cape (details furnished) and noting that after a multi-generational struggle for the 10 000 hectares of land, the specified land was finally approved for land reform and restitution (details furnished), (a) what are the reasons that the agreed-upon land total changed from 10 000 to 8 000 hectares and (b) who is currently in possession of the missing 2 000 hectares of land;
(2) what community consultation has occurred in the handover process between the (a) community property association (CPA), (b) government departments and (c) community itself;
(3) what level of involvement does her department have with the CPA in the community.
(4) whether her department has been informed of the multitude of documentation and the various commitments made by former ministers ranging back to 2016, wherein they confirmed that 10 000 hectares of land would be handed over to the community; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;
(5) what guidelines and/or measures have been enforced in this land restitution case to ensure (a) equal opportunity and (b) access to development?
1. (a) The extent of the TRANCRAA area was estimated at 10 000 hectares, but after
the finalization of the subdivision, the final remaining extent was 8 314.2843 hectares. During vesting the portions with State Domestic Functions such as schools and clinics needed to be excluded and transferred to the Eastern Cape Provincial Government. Government Gazette Notice (GP822/1994) was reframed to exclude Erf 385 ...
What informed the decision and notice of the Registrar of the Fertilisers, Farm Feeds, Seeds and Remedies Act, Act 36 of 1947, that 28 active ingredients and their formulations that meet the criteria of carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and reproductive (CMR) toxicity categories 1A and 1B for the Globally Harmonised System (GHS) of classification, will be banned in the Republic as from 1 June 2024;
(2) what are the reasons that the Registrar's notice did not also extend to active ingredients in pesticides registered for use in the Republic, which are categorised as World Health Organisation Classification 1a and 1b;
(3) whether the Registrar has commissioned any experts to advise him on which active ingredients registered for use in the Republic might meet the CMR categories 1A and 1B for the GHS of classification; if not, why not; if so, will she furnish Ms T Breedt with a (a) list of the specified experts and (b) copy of their terms of reference; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case;
(4) (a) on which methodology did the Registrar rely to compile the list of 28 active ingredients earmarked for banning in the Republic, (b) who did the specified work and (c) what was the output of the process in terms of a report and/or findings;
(5) (a) what else needs to occur before the list is finalised and (b) by what date does the Registrar envisage the publication of a finalised list?
1. The decision by the Department is informed by the Pesticide Management Policy of South Africa, 2010. The Policy amongst others issues, requires measures to be taken to deal with pesticides that pose unmanageable risk, such as those with Endocrine Disrupting Properties, Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), carcinogenic and immunotoxic potential, formulations classified by World Health Organization as Extremely Hazardous (Class 1a) and Highly Hazardous ...
With reference to her reply to question 2173 on 26 June 2023, what are the reasons that since 2019 the total number of budgeted veterinary posts was reduced from 324 to 287;
(2) whether she is considering requesting the Minister of Home Affairs to reconsider the decision to remove veterinary doctors from the critical scarce skills list due to the inability to fill vacant positions; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
1. The total of veterinary posts budgeted for increased from 324 to 326 for the period in question. KwaZulu-Natal increased the posts by two during the period. The table below provides a corrected version. The vacancy rate is also adjusted accordingly to 40%.
Table1: Approved and vacant posts for veterinary doctors
|
Year
|
STATUS
|
NATIONAL
|
GP
|
NW
|
LIMPOPO
|
MP
|
KZN
|
FS
|
EC
|
WC
|
NC
|
TOTAL ... |
Whether, she has found that the success of her department to bring to production 365 000 hectares of land in the former homelands is attributable to its effective implementation of the Spatial Land Use Management Act, Act 16 of 2013, to identify underutilised land in the former homelands; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the details of (a) all underutilised land in the former homelands identified through the Spatial Land Use Management Act, Act 16 of 2013 and (b) the 365 000 hectares that have been brought under production through the Spatial Land Use Management Act, Act 16 of 2013?
The success of bringing any number of hectares into production cannot be attributed to effective implementation of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act No. 16 of 2013. In the Budget and Policy Speech on 9 May 2023, it was indicated that the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) working with the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) concluded a spatial ...
(1)What steps has her department taken to contain the spread of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N8 strain panzootic disease which is currently destroying the poultry industry in the Republic, leading to an increase in the price and a looming shortage of eggs and bringing poultry farmers to their knees;
(2) whether there has been any indication of possible trade bans on the export of poultry products due to the panzootic disease; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what number of (a) industries and (b) countries will and/or have been affected;
(3) whether, in light of the fact that vaccination of poultry is currently not allowed in the Republic, she will remove the prohibition on the poultry vaccines to allow poultry farmers to buy the highly effective vaccine to save millions of Rand and poultry farms; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(4) whether she intends to (a) declare the panzootic a disaster and (b) assist all farmers to get back on their feet through a form of compensation; if not, what is the position in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case? NW4282E
1. All farms with infections are placed under quarantine. No birds, products and waste are allowed to move into or out of the farm. Infected and in-contact birds must be destroyed to prevent further spread of the infection. Farmers that requested to be exempted from culling/destroying birds have been given biosecurity measures which they must comply with in order not to place other farms ...
What are the full, relevant details of (a) the handover of agricultural inputs that took place recently in KwaZulu-Natal, (b) the role being played by the SA Farmers Development Association in the programmes of her department’s, (c) the total cost of (i) agricultural inputs and/or farming equipment for items purchased for farmers and (ii) other expenses incurred and (d) how the selection criteria was applied to select the beneficiaries;
(2) what are the reasons that she and/or her department used the office of a certain political organisation (name furnished) to advertise her visit for the handover ceremony;
(3) what are the relevant details of the total expenses per item bought for farmers;
(4) whether any political affiliations were considered of the farmers to whom the agricultural inputs and farming equipment were allocated; if not, what criteria were considered; if so, what (a) are the relevant details of the suppliers that her department procured the agricultural inputs from and (b) is the total cost thereof?
(1)(a) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) approved South African Farmers Development Association’s (SAFDA’s) ratoon management project for small-scale farmers in the sugar commodity to the value of R99 267 367.32. The project benefited over 10 679 farmers with a total of 116 415 bags of fertilizer across eleven mill areas in the six districts of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province.
(b) SAFDA, ...
What steps is her department taking (a) with regard to the vicious breeds of dogs that are kept by people to ensure that the animals are kept adequately and (b) to assure the public that no more people will be attacked and killed by the vicious breeds of dogs?
a) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) jointly with some Municipalities (e.g. City of Tshwane) and other relevant role players are organising dog safety and wellness campaigns to teach the public about safe dog keeping, management, controlled breeding, and wellness. This information will also be made available online and through publications (brochures) to empower members of the public.
b) Keeping ...
Whether, with reference to the recent Manifesto review of a certain political party (details furnished) in which it is mentioned that the State has settled more than 83 000 land claims, she and/or her department provided the specified party with the figures; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what (a) informed the figures, (b) number of land claims were lodged by the December 1998-deadline and (c) number of land claims have been settled to date?
a) The figures were derived from the land claims database which records that a total of 83 067 claims have been settled in terms of approved Sections 42D, 42E and 35 submissions in terms of the Restitution of Land Rights Act, 1994 (Act No. 22 of 1994).
b) About 80 000 claims lodged by 31 December 1998.
c) 83 067; the number of settled claims to date ...
