Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon members, distinguished guests, in debating this Budget Vote I shall focus on the public entities of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and on how this Budget Vote can assist in amplifying their role as instruments in advancing economic transformation.
For the ANC, the strategic direction with regard to the economic transformation of any public entity is to, firstly, treat these entities as drivers and agents of economic restructuring to advance the developmental objectives of the developmental state and the broader democratic society in line with policy resolutions that have been adopted by the ANC at both its 52nd and 53rd national conferences.
Secondly, we must, on continual basis, assess policies that will bring about an enforced optimum alignment and co-ordination of mandates and operations of these public entities with the broader objectives of the developmental state. The broader aim must be to restructure the economy in order to create decent job opportunities, equitable income distribution, quality service delivery and social justice.
We have to explore viable ways and means to strengthen the entities through public partnerships amongst and within the entities themselves. The department must demonstrate how it can use the strength of entities to support and direct private sector investment in agriculture and other related sectors of the economy in order to stimulate manufacturing and promote entrepreneurship development programmes that will enhance de- racialisation of the economy and the creation of new firms.
Above all, public entities as powerful development agents for economic transformation should remain firmly in the hands and under the control of the state in order to respond effectively to the development goals of the ANC government. [Interjections.] Ask yourself that question.
The first entity is the Agricultural Research Council, ARC, and its medium- term strategic goals that we have noted are to understand and promote research, to use and share its technological expertise and to establish and control facilities in the fields of research, development and technology transfer.
What will be critical in going forward is to ensure that the organisational restructuring alignment is being done to enhance the directives of the New Growth Path, NGP, and the National Development Plan, NDP, as well as the strategic orientation on agriculture. We welcome the Agricultural Research Council's strategic priorities, which include growth in agriculture, increased productivity, food security, the Zero Hunger campaign, bio- security, job creation and optimal technology platforms.
With regard to human resource capacity, it was noted that the Agricultural Research Council has not been successful in filling vacancies. We have concerns regarding the credibility of the information presented to the committee. This is because of the staff positions and vacancies in the Agricultural Research Council's business plan that differ from those in the 2013 Estimates of National Expenditure. [Interjections.]
The second entity is the Onderstepoort Biological Products, OBP. The strategic goals of this entity over the medium term are to improve manufacturing efficiency; reduce the input costs of production; ensure that vaccines remain affordable in the market; and form strategic partnerships to leverage funding, research and development capacity.
Whilst we acknowledged that revenue decreased between 2010-11 and 2012-13, the reasons for this were understandable. The decrease followed a significant increase in revenue in the previous year, when the vaccine was first introduced. We welcome the spending focused, over the medium term, on modernising the vaccine production facility and building personnel capacity by filling vacant research and development posts. The concerns we share relate to the sufficiency of the R2 million that has been allocated for security, given that OBP is a national key point.
The third entity is the Perishable Products Export Control Board, PPECB, whose strategic goals over the medium term are to enhance the credibility of South Africa's export certification, and contribute to South Africa's perishable product industries to become more competitive in terms of exports.
We are concerned because our exports have not grown in the past three years. The citrus black spot is a challenge that poses a threat to the entire citrus industry and also has a financial impact on the PPECB and the agricultural sector.
Politically, as the ANC, we give full support to the PPECB and the department in their negotiations to stop the European Union's market from putting a ban on South African citrus exports due to black spot. We welcome the intention to review the Perishable Products Export Control Act and the Agricultural Products Standards Act. This will have a significant impact on the modernisation of PPECB business and its financial model, including future sustainability.
We acknowledge the existing challenge, which is the conversion of a manual system to an electronic platform for the handling of data and providing more cost-effective services to customers by reducing their prices in order to become more competitive.
With regard to the fourth entity, the National Agricultural Marketing Council, NAMC, we have noted that its strategic goal over the medium term is to ensure an increased market access for all market participants and, most importantly, to bring transformation. This is in line with what the ANC expects from public entities.
As part of the transformation process, the continuing support for the development of schemes to secure markets for smallholder farmers is being advanced. [Interjections.] Heyi! [Laughter.] We are encouraged that NAMC is collaborating with the Department of Further Education and Training. The Minister has already mentioned that colleges are to render services to small-holder producers.
Ke ka fao re ratago go dira boipilet?o le go rata go leboga ge dikholet?he t?a rena t?a temo t?eo di bego di tswalet?we di bulwa ka moka go tlo t?welet?a bokgoni go baswa ba rena gore ba kgone go tseba t?a bolemi. [Legofsi.] (Translation of Sepedi paragraph follows.)
[We are so grateful that all agricultural colleges which were closed down are now to be opened again to equip the youth with agricultural skills. [Applause.]]
We commend the NAMC for their good work and for consistency in achieving clean audits for their financial performance. Our concerns are about the lack of synergy, and overlaps in the work of the department's entities.
Regarding the fifth entity, Ncera Farms (Pty) Ltd, our views here are the result of long and protracted engagement with the entity. The ANC supports the Budget Vote. [Time expired.] [Applause.]