Agb Voorsitter, daar is elke jaar 74 miljoen meer mense op aarde. Dit was groot nuus verlede jaar toe die wreldbevolking die sewe miljard-kerf verbygesteek het. Elke vier dae is daar nog 'n miljoen nuwe monde wat kos, water en klere moet kry. Alles dui daarop dat die wreldbevolking teen 2050 tot meer as nege miljard sal styg.
Die voorspelling vir Suid-Afrika is dat die bevolking teen 2030 tot 57 miljoen sal styg. As u vandag een van die gelukkige mense was wat geet het, miskien selfs alreeds twee keer, dink daaraan dat agt miljoen mense jaarliks sterf omdat hulle te arm is om hul mees basiese behoeftes te bevredig.
Daar is elke dag 30 000 kinders wat aan voorkombare siektes en hongersnood sterf. Elke jaar sterf 6 miljoen kinders voor hul vyfde verjaarsdag weens wanvoeding. In Suid-Afrika is daar naastenby 14 miljoen mense wat nie verseker is van 'n bord kos elke dag nie.
Prof Julian Cribb voorspel in sy boek The Coming Famine: The Global Food Crisis and What We Can Do to Avoid It, dat die belangrikste kwessie vir die samelewing in die volgende 50 jaar nie klimaatsverandering of die wreldwye finansile krisis is nie, maar wel voedselsekuriteit. Dit is vanuit hierdie perspektief dat ek op die landbou in Suid-Afrika toespits. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mrs A STEYN: Hon Chairperson, every year there are 74 million more people on earth. It was major news last year when the earth's population passed the 7 billion mark. Every 4 days there are a million more new mouths needing food, water and clothing. Everything points towards the earth's population increasing to more than nine billion by 2050.
The prediction for South Africa is that the population will increase to 57 million by 2030. If you are one of the lucky people who has had a meal today, perhaps even two, consider the fact that 8 million people are dying annually because they are too poor to attend to their most basic needs.
Every day 30 000 children are dying from preventable diseases and famine. Every year 6 million children will die from malnutrition before their fifth birthday. In South Africa approximately 14 million people are not assured of a daily plate of food.
In his book The Coming Famine: The Global Food Crisis and What We Can Do to Avoid It, Prof Julian Cribb predicts that society's most important issue in the coming 50 years will not be climate change, nor the worldwide financial crisis, but rather food security. It is from this perspective that I wish to focus on agriculture in South Africa.]
According to the strategic overview of the department, the estimated volume of agricultural production in 2010-11 was basically the same as in 2009-10. The volume of field crop production reflected a 4,5% decrease as a result of a decline in the production of summer grains. Maize production decreased by 2 million tons, or 15%, against the previous season, followed by wheat with 27%.
Animal production increased slightly by 1,8% as a result of the 23 000 tons in cattle and calves slaughtered and 3,3% in poultry slaughtered. However, the amount of sheep and goats slaughtered showed a decrease in production of 16%.
A reply to a parliamentary question this week revealed that in 2011 there were 3 000 reported sheep deaths and 268 000 goat deaths from Rift Valley fever alone. Given that the majority of deaths are not reported, the true figure is likely much higher. A large part of this decline may be attributed to the state vaccine deficiency, a subject I shall return to shortly.
In terms of our balance of trade, it is expected that the imports of most of the basic food staples, meat and dairy products will increase and exports will decrease. Poor South Africans can hardly afford the resultant food inflation. This is still from the strategic report of the department itself.
Dt is die ware prentjie van die Suid-Afrikaanse landbou. Ons moet ons dus afvra watter rol die staat moet vervul om te verseker dat Suid-Afrika se boere hul volle potensiaal bereik. Die doel moet tog wees om 'n gunstige beleidsomgewing te skep waarin die landbou kan fokus op winsgewendheid en mededingingdheid in 'n globale omgewing. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[This is the true picture of South African agriculture. So we must ask ourselves what role the state should be playing in order to ensure that South Africa's farmers are reaching their full potential. Surely the goal should be the creation of a suitable policy environment within which agriculture can focus on profitability and competitiveness in a global environment.]
Agriculture plays numerous roles in society. The most obvious is to produce food. Factors such as weather conditions, commodity prices, input costs, stock levels and consumption demand, as well as exchange rates, will continue to influence agricultural production in the country. It is becoming more and more difficult to manage farm costs owing to rising input costs like electricity and water tariffs.
It is therefore important to ensure regulatory certainty for people to make informed choices. The uncertainty regarding the land reform programme and safety and security in rural areas play critical roles in farmers deciding to leave South Africa to farm elsewhere in Africa.
Minister, South Africa is built on the back of dispossession, and the DA recognises the policy shift of the department to put greater emphasis on job creation, the development of smallholder producers, and the implementation of the Zero Hunger programme. But, with a total budget for agriculture of only R5,8 billion or 0,6% of the total Budget, we cannot afford to lose focus regarding the role of the department, and we should debate the extent to which the state should be directly involved in economic activity.
The DA supports the development of small-scale farmers and the establishment of food gardens to help with the massive need to eradicate hunger and poverty, especially in the former homeland areas. It is for this reason that I undertook a road trip, together with my colleague the hon Trollip, to the Eastern Cape to see for myself what progress has been made in the former Ciskei and Transkei areas. According to an answer by the Minister, the department has spent R90 million since 2008 on the revitalisation of the Eastern Cape irrigation schemes. This amount excludes the amount spent by the province or the district municipalities.
Die resultaat van hierdie besoek was gemeng, en het gewissel van baie goed in sekere areas tot baie swak in andere. Dit was opvallend dat die skemas waar daar samewerking was tussen die gemeenskappe, regering en privaatsektor, duidelik meer suksesvol is. Dit is dus belangrik dat geld nie vermors moet word op projekte waar mense net elke jaar nuwe fondse ontvang, en waar gemeenskappe nie vir hul eie vooruitgang verantwoordelikheid aanvaar nie.
'n Besoek aan Qamata was 'n laagtepunt vir my. Die kwaliteit van landbougrond word ondermyn deur ernstige erosie, en daar is feitlik geen boerdery aktiwiteite sigbaar nie. Toe ek amptenare van die departement by die plaaslike kantoor oor hul pligte uitvra, was die rede vir die verval gou duidelik. Hulle kon geen antwoorde verskaf nie. Ek moes later navraag doen oor wie elke maand hul salarisse betaal, net om te bevestig dat hulle wel vir die departement werk.
Die grootste gedeelte van die fondse vir hierdie programme word aan die provinsies oorgedra. Ons komitee het in die verlede baie min inligting ontvang oor die resultate wat bereik is. Die DA het voorgestel dat ons vanaf hierdie jaar 'n volledige verslag van elke provinsie ontvang, om seker te maak dat die begroting aangewend word tot die voordeel van gemeenskappe. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The result of this visit was mixed, varying from very good in some areas to very poor in others. It was remarkable to note that, where co-operation between communities, government and the private sector was in place, the schemes were clearly more successful. It is therefore important that money is not wasted on projects where people are merely receiving new funding annually, but where communities are not accepting responsibility for their own progress.
A visit to Qamata was a low point for me. The quality of agricultural soil is being undermined by serious erosion and farming activities are barely noticeable. When I questioned officials of the department at the local office regarding their duties, the reason for the decline soon became apparent. They could not provide me with answers. Eventually I had to enquire about who was paying their salaries every month in order to just establish that they were indeed working for the department.
The biggest portion of funding for this programme is transferred to the provinces. In the past our committee has received very little information on the results that have been achieved. The DA has proposed that from this year on we receive a full report from each province, in order to ensure that the budget is being appropriated to the benefit of the communities.]
Agricultural production, health and food safety get the biggest slice of the department's budget allocation with an amount of R1,9 billion, and rightly so, as this programme's purpose is to manage the risks associated with animal diseases, plant pests, genetically modified organisms and the registration of products used in agriculture, to promote food security and safety, and to create an enabling environment for increased and sustainable agricultural production.
Chairperson, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is responsible for the biosecurity of animal health. The assurance of a disease-free animal population is critical for the export of live animals as well as meat products. South Africa has experienced a number of disease outbreaks since 2010, and you mentioned that in your budget speech, Minister. This is costing the country billions of rand in lost export revenue. A possible reason for these outbreaks could be the fragmented way in which the department deals with animal health.
I have asked the chairperson of the portfolio committee to call an urgent meeting with all role-players to find a solution to this situation. It is not reassuring to read the following in the annual report of the South African Veterinary Council, namely that "another year has passed in which the Council has failed to secure a meeting with its Minister ... It therefore could not achieve its objective to advise the Minister on matters affecting the veterinary and para-veterinary professions, the peoples and animals they serve". I learnt later that they had met with the Deputy Minister, but it is a concern that for three years they hadn't met with the Minister. Maybe I am wrong, but that was my information. [Interjections.] During the state of the nation address in 2011, President Zuma announced R800 million for flood damage, and two weeks later Minister Gordhan announced a further R600 million. This was later followed up by another announcement of R250 million from Minister Joemat-Pettersson. Now, more than a year later, farmers have not received a single cent of the disaster relief promised. Minister, you have mentioned that it will be ring-fenced in future, but I want to know and the farmers out there want to know what is happening with the money that was promised in 2011.
To achieve food security, farmers and farm workers need dedication and support from government. We do not need a Minister that is simply out of touch with the needs of the agricultural sector. [Applause.] It is simply not good enough to have a Minister that tells farmers about fashion and how she was responsible for making ostrich feathers fashionable. [Laughter.]
Dit help ook nie dat die agb Adjunkminister moet kom verduidelik wat sy werk in die komitee is nie. Die Adjunkminister het ons meegedeel dat die werk die voorbereiding van wetgewing behels het. In die laaste drie jaar het hierdie portefeuljekomitee geen wetgewing gehanteer nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[It is also not helpful that the hon Deputy Minister has had to explain his role in the committee. The Deputy Minister informed us that the job was the preparation of legislation. In the past three years this portfolio committee has not dealt with any legislation.]
When I asked a farmer how important management was on his farm, he responded by saying that the land was not what brings in the money, but the management determines whether you make or break it. Well, Minister, we are afraid that you are not making it. More than that, it is clear that members of South Africa's rural economy have lost faith in your management. [Time expired.] [Applause.]