NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 326
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [No 2-2016 FIFTH PARLIAMENT
DATE OF PUBLICATION:Â Â 19 FEBRUARYÂ 2016
326. Mr D America (DA) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land
Reform:
1) Whether the current drought will have any impact on the countryâs
land reform programme; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant
details;
2) Whether his department visited any land reform farms to determine and
investigate the impact of the drought on the specified farms; if not,
why not; if so, (a) how many land reform farms were visited and (b)
what are the relevant details in each case?
NW336E
THE MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM:
(1) Yes, the details are as follows:
- Negative impact on sustainable livelihoods due to livestock death
and lower crop yield;
- Environmental degradation (topsoil loss, drying of dams, no grazing
land and difficult rehabilitation);
- Reduction in income;
- Threatened food security;
- High risk of animal diseases spreading;
- Low water dams levels expected to take 3-5 years to recover;
- Water restrictions and penalties on over usage of water will also
have a negative impact on livestock, crops and humans, in terms of
accessibility and financial implications.
(2) Yes.
(a) More than 1049 land reform farms were visited and assessments
were conducted by the provincial offices of Rural Development
and Land Reform and the provincial offices responsible for
agriculture.
(b) Based on the farms assessed to date, findings include the
following:
- Limited drinking water for human and livestock consumption;
- Limited crop yield;
- Overgrazed areas and dry land;
- In some areas there is a high fuel load posing a risk of veld
fires;
- Livestock loss;
- Need for more infrastructure upgrades or establishment to be used
for providing feed requirements (cattle handling facilities, feed
mills and feedlots);
- Unavailability of land for relocation of livestock in KwaZulu-Natal
(KZN) and Free State (FS).
The above-mentioned findings are being addressed through the following
interventions:
- 4100km of fire breaks to be created through grading for 260 farms
in Free State and Mpumalanga Provinces (MP), a total of 3400 km is
already completed.
- Communication and awareness campaigns were conducted in conjunction
with the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) in KZN.
- Feedlots in KZN, MP and North West (NW) are being repaired and
upgraded. In KZN the areas are: Tangeni, Manyiseni, Jozini,
Umhlabawalengana and Bambanana. In MP the areas are Middelton,
Mjindi and a 6000 ha PLAS farm in Gert Sibande District has been
identified. In NW a feedlot has been upgraded at Bojanala District,
a feed mill expansion in Rustkraal farm, and a fodder bank creation
under Taung irrigation scheme is underway.
- The NW Province has state land in the Dr Ruth Mompadi District used
by communal farmers and can produce 50 000 weaners per year. There
will be no relocation of livestock but the 150 farmers will be
producing 30 000 tons of livestock feed under 1500 ha irrigated of
the 3 500ha Taung irrigation scheme to support these animals. A
fodder bank will be established and feed to the value of R14, 5
million will be purchased for these farmers. Communal farmers will
have an opportunity to take their cattle for backgrounding and then
selling to the auction.
- Provision of fencing and animal handling facilities: 9km fencing
has been completed at Driekoppies and Mount Sheba in MP;
- Auction sales support in Free State (FS),KZN, Limpopo (LP) and MP;
- 251 projects for the drilling and equipping of boreholes are being
implemented in FS, KZN, LP, MP and NW.
- Provision of animal feed;
- Planting of fodder and lucerne under irrigation schemes in KZN
(Ndumo & Nsuze) and NW (Taung);
- Financial support to land reform lessee sugarcane farmers; and.
- Financial support to proactive land acquisition strategy grants
recipients, land redistribution for agricultural development,
restitution and communal and state-land beneficiaries.
DRDLR is working together with other relevant departments to avoid
duplication of efforts, coordinated by NDMC.