Hon Chairperson, all protocol is observed. At its 52nd national conference in Polokwane in December 2007, the ANC resolved that stronger state capacity be built and greater resources be devoted to the challenges of rural development, land reform and agrarian change. It also resolved that large-scale programmes be implemented to establish new smallholders and improve the productivity of existing smallscale and subsistence farmers and to integrate smallholders into formal value chains and link them with markets.
It called for dedicated state and private institutions to be developed for the effective and directed support to land reform beneficiaries in general and smallholder agriculture and family farms in particular, including financial support, research and extension, the provision of tools and equipment and the facilitation of market access and co-operation.
The Polokwane conference resolved that the national agricultural policies be revisited, particularly in respect of subsidies, tariffs and marketing institutions, and that the relationship between these and the ANC objectives in respect of rural development, land reform and agrarian change, as well as food security, be implemented.
Our 53rd national conference in Mangaung took this further through emphasis on the recapitalisation and development programme and the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme, Casp, including in communal areas. It called for the rationalisation of existing food security initiatives and reaffirmed the all-important and fundamental decision that land be treated as a socioeconomic right. This has major positive implications for agriculture, food security and tenure. These are the policy directives that must inform this debate.
The context in which we debate agriculture is a challenging one. The industrialised nations continue to provide lavish subsidies and other forms of protection to farmers with the aim of sustaining their agricultural sectors, maintaining social cohesion and ensuring national food security. The effect of this is to undermine rural livelihoods and exacerbate poverty in the developing world, especially in Africa.
The global recession has reduced demand for agricultural products and farmers in the developing world who depend on exports are faced with reduced orders and lower prices. Profits are lower and, as we have seen in South Africa, the debt burden of farmers is increasing. There is less investment in agriculture.
Whilst this is the situation, we are encouraged to note that, with regard to job creation and sustainable jobs over the past year, over 80 000 new jobs have been created, most of them in rural areas.
Let me deal with the challenges and then outline how the ANC government is dealing with the challenges. The challenges facing the agricultural sector are multiple. They are to be found in animal and crop diseases, with our ostrich industry still suffering from a ban on meat exports to the UK, and regaining our status as a foot-and-mouth disease-free country is not easy. Our citrus crop is currently threatened by the invasive citrus black spot, which also jeopardises our exports to Europe.
We cannot ignore the challenge of protecting prime agricultural land which is under severe threat. Mining industry and other developments are competing for this land and we need a department that has the resources and authority to defend our productive farm land.
The challenge of climate change is a major issue for agriculture. Farms produce large amounts of greenhouse gases, which add to the problems of climate change. Agriculture is the sector which is worst affected by droughts, floods and other extreme weather events.
We have a declining number of commercial farmers who are carrying larger debts and investing less in their farms. Emerging farmers who are still establishing their farms are the worst affected and too often do not graduate to full commercial enterprises. Support to these farmers and providing them with access to tractors, fertilisers and seeds is critical.
When it comes to progress, we are encouraged by the fact that the department is working with a unified agricultural sector in the form of the Agri-sector Unity Forum to deal with these challenges and many other issues. We support the initiative of the department's work with agribusiness to ensure food security and the growth of the food industry to create more jobs. Working with farmers and communities and responding to their needs and to the need for the revitalisation of the agricultural sector is primary and there is much evidence of this.
The mandate of the comprehensive agricultural support programmes is to provide post-settlement support and redistribution to targeted beneficiaries of land reform and other producers who have acquired land through private means and are engaged in value-adding enterprises domestically or in export.
We have welcomed the progress in delivering on- and off-farm infrastructure support; technical and advisory assistance and regulatory services; training and capacity-building; marketing and business development; information and knowledge management as well as financial assistance to subsistence, smallholder and black commercial farmers.
We are encouraged by the spending focus of the Budget Vote on increasing support to smallholder farmers and producers through the Ilima/Letsema programme, the sustainable plant production systems and the maintenance of effective systems to manage risks associated with plant pests and diseases. Through the Ilima/Letsema programme - which is allocated R1,4 billion over the medium term for poverty alleviation - food security, job creation and plant-related commodity strategies, with a focus on indigenous food crops, will be rolled out. In terms of animal production, the programme will provide support to approximately 3 900 smallholder producers participating in animal improvement schemes. As far back as 2010, Cabinet developed and adopted a value chain financing model that caters for collateral guarantee funds, supplementary capital, technical support and risk and market analysis. The support provided includes farm planning, technical support and market access. The grants will be used for on- and off-farm infrastructure. In the case of on-farm infrastructure, partners must be sought to ensure the success of the enterprise.
In order to deal with the challenge of food security, the major focus must be on food production in the future. Our smallholder farmers must be organised to ensure our country maintains its food security in future and we must ensure that they are successful.
The positive contribution of providing comprehensive support to subsistence and smallholder producers through the food security subprogramme is encouraging. Providing infrastructure development, extension services, production interventions and improved market access to attain food security are also encouraging.
Casp, which is allocated approximately R2,9 billion over the medium term, needs to provide infrastructure to 220 000 existing and 80 000 new smallholder producers and 380 000 subsistence producers. In conclusion, the mandate that this Budget Vote gives the department is to ensure that it contributes towards the provision of food for the country, growing the economy of rural areas and promoting export opportunities for the country. In the final instance, it is our best hope of ensuring that all people have enough nutritious food on their tables every day.
Modulasetulo, ga re lebale gore gona bjale naga ya gaborena e lebane le bothata bja mebaene. Gona bjale ka kua Mpumalanga, dihekthara t?e dint?int?i di t?erwe ke mebaene. Go sa ya pele, mebaene e sa nt?e e prospecta nyaka mo e ka humanang gore ba ka epa, mola e le gore naga ya rena ke ya go lota dijo ...
... our land is for food security ...
... gore batho ba se ke ba hlaka.
Re kgopela gore kgoro, "at the same time", ka nako ye - ee, re a e nyaka mebaene ka gore e hlola - e bolele le Kgoro ya Diminerale gore ba kwane, ba seke ba no t?at?amet?a naga.Ee, re a e nyaka mebaene ka gore e hlola me?omo. Re tla ja eng? Go sego bjalo Afrika Borwa e tlo lebana ke gore e be naga ye e lego gore dijo t?a yona di t?wa ka ntle. Re a kgopela. (Translation of Sepedi paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson, currently the mines are a problem in our country. In Mpumalanga many hectares of land are occupied by the mines and they still want more land to use for mining. The land has to be used for food security to eliminate poverty.
At the same time, we appeal to the department to work together with the Department of Mineral Resources and reach an agreement to stop digging up the land. Yes, we want mining because it brings job opportunities. What are we going to eat? South Africa will depend on imported food only. Please, we are pleading with you.
The ANC supports Budget Vote No 26. [Time expired.] [Applause.]