Chair, countries in both the East and the West, including our partners in Brics, that is the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa group, regard their commercial food producers as a precious national asset in ensuring food security. They recognise that there are not many people who want to farm. Commercial food production is a calling that requires special skills and a work ethic that has to be learned. Food security is essential, both economically and politically, and social cohesion has to be a by-product, not the main goal.
Consequently, governments seek to help producers increase productivity and production. It is very concerning that South Africa, by contrast with most other governments, neglects and is even hostile to this industry, giving it virtually no budgetary, research or trade policy support.
This is perhaps most noticeable with regard to the Agricultural Research Council, the ARC. Some of the finest and largest volumes of agricultural research in the southern hemisphere, if not in most of the world, came from this and other South African institutes to help keep our commercial food producers at the forefront of world food productivity.
The ACDP is alarmed that stakeholders claim that if the council were to be scrapped, it would scarcely be noticed, as it has deteriorated so severely. Let's hope the increase is not too little too late.
The number of commercial food producers in South Africa has dropped from about 120 000 in 1994 to about 40 000. Today, on balance, we have become a net importer of food in recent years, putting our food security in jeopardy. The reduction in budgetary allocations to maintain existing infrastructure, let alone improve it, has a negative effect on production. It also accelerates the departure of food producers enticed to other African countries and Australia, where their skills are welcomed.
By not supporting this industry, government is disadvantaging every consumer in South Africa. If this continues, it will result in even more rapidly increasing food prices. The producers who remain are reluctant to invest because of long delays in finalising land acquisitions. This adversely affects crop production.
It has been brought to the attention of the ACDP that inland fisheries have been neglected in favour of marine fisheries. More funding will be necessary to establish more and better capacity, structures and projects for recreational, subsistence and commercial inland fisheries. In order to establish inland fisheries as an important job-creating and food-resourcing sector, encouragement and funding are essential. Also, improved and stronger partnerships between the department, the Department of Water Affairs and the provincial conservation agencies will go a long way in achieving this objective.
Lastly, the veterinary establishment in the agricultural sector is cause for concern as the corruption of a few is undermining the integrity of this establishment, whose integrity is held in high regard in the food production industry. The prescribing and/or selling of potentially lethal game capture drugs for rhino poaching by certain rogue veterinarians must be stopped. The ACDP strongly supports calls for government to co-fund the urgent establishment of an inspectorate. Despite reservations, we will support this Vote. [Time expired.] [Applause.]