Mr Chairman, hon Minister, in last year's Budget Vote I expressed the view that I sincerely hoped that under your leadership, agriculture would at last get the necessary attention it needed and again be recognised for the important role it played in providing food and fibre to the nation, creating job opportunities and playing an important role in the economy of the country.
Die staat, en dus die Minister en haar departement, speel 'n belangrike rol in die sektor om suksesvolle ontwikkeling en mededingendheid te verseker. Bowenal moet 'n beleidsbedeling vertroue inboesem wat rolspelers sal aanmoedlg om Suid-Afrika as 'n voorkeur bestemming vir investering te beskou.
Dit is egter teleurstellend dat die landbou weer eens nie deur die Begroting van uiterste belang vir die land se ekonomiese groei en stabiliteit uitgesonder is nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The state and therefore the Minister and her department play an important role in the sector in ensuring successful development and competitiveness. Moreover, a distribution policy should instil confidence that would encourage role-players to regard South Africa as a prime investment destination.
It is, however, disappointing that agriculture has once again not being singled out by the budget as a matter of utmost importance to the country's economic growth and stability.]
The total appropriation to this sector amounts to only R3,658 billion of the total governmental budget of R907 billion. It is a mere 0,4%, and far below the agreed 10% of the African Union Maputo Declaration signed by South Africa a few years ago.
The agricultural sector is also not sharing in the R 3,6 billion allocated to the Department of Trade and Industry for industrial policy interventions, in line with the new Industrial Policy Action Plan, simply because agriculture is left out of this plan.
The DA envisages and will work towards a profitable, sustainable agricultural sector in South Africa. However, the reality is that the recent global economic downturn is clearly beginning to show its impact on the agricultural sector. Farmers find it increasingly difficult to maintain profit margins as a result of high production costs and low commodity prices. This results in a decline in net farm income, cash flow and, again, a rise in farm debt.
The DA believes that the following issues are critical to food security, and you, as the responsible Minister, should give urgent attention to these issues. From the budget it became clear that the current human resources, ICT capacity and the budget allocation are not adequate to deliver the required level of management and services. Furthermore, the units that must render support are not at the required operational level and are not adequately capacitated to render the required services. I also noticed that, after a year in office, structures in the department are still not in place. You are still operating with acting directors- general and acting deputy directors, as well as a vacancy rate of 17% in the department. In short, I believe that the department is still dysfunctional as attention and feedback on important issues are not forthcoming. This results in the sector losing millions of rand in export earnings and investment opportunities. My advice to the Minister is to implement a turnaround strategy as a matter of urgency.
Taking into account the importance of research for the sector, it became clear that the Agricultural Research Council is grossly underfunded and that many posts are currently vacant. About 90% of the parliamentary budget is spent on salaries, leaving very little for executing its research mandate. It is estimated that about R300 million is needed annually to help address the personnel and other constraints.
A further problem to be corrected is the fact that the agricultural research facilities are fragmented into provincial research institutes under the control of provincial governments. They are mostly dysfunctional and scientists are continuing to leave the institutes, while the ARC has no jurisdiction over the institutions or the research that they have been allocated.
Onderstepoort Biological Products is rendering a world-class service to the livestock industry, but has to survive without any budgetary support from government. The ageing buildings and research facilities need a financial influx of between R500 and R800 million. The vital role that Onderstepoort plays has just again been illustrated by the uncontrolled outbreak of Rift Valley fever in the country. Again, Minister, it sounds a warning of failure on your part to control the outbreak effectively.
Minister, from a written question to you, you admitted that, as part of a bilateral agreement with Zambia, you intend to import sable antelope from Zambia, a country which is endemically infested with foot-and-mouth disease.
The DA is opposed to this importation as this case is not only about the unnecessary importation of the sable antelope from Zambia, but certainly about the necessity to meticulously implement existing national and international regulations in order to protect the local livestock industry's export and disease-free status. Import permits must therefore be handled and issued with the utmost care and in compliance with legislation regulating it.
The closure of the export of meat and other products to the European Union and other importing countries will have disastrous financial consequences for the farmers and the industry at large.
It has also come to the DA's notice that the head of the National Directorate, Veterinary Services, Dr Maja, as well as a number of senior staff members in the Directorate of Veterinary Services and Food Safety and Quality Control, have either been dismissed or demoted from their posts, apparently because, Minister, you were not satisfied that they were opposed to the issuing of the necessary permits for the importation of these Zambian sable antelope.
This, Minister, simply cannot be a coincidence and you need to explain today, firstly, why these people have been removed from their posts and, secondly, whether you have any interest, financially or otherwise, in the importation of these Zambian sable antelope.
As a result of government's continued confrontational stance to commercial agriculture, we have seen a huge disinvestment and a decline in employment. We have also seen an exodus of producers from this important sector to other countries in Africa.
The threats issued to South African farmers by Minister Nkwinti, that they would be held responsible for a worse-than-Zimbabwe-like situation, if they are not working in support of transforming the land in terms of historically disadvantaged black people through nationalisation, we believe is totally uncalled for and misplaced.
The DA is of the view that nationalisation equals expropriation without compensation, and will result in the demise of the cornerstone of the country's economy, causing total disruption of food production and disinvestment from the sector.
Politicians should also stop making double-talk statements to the detriment of the country. Food security is of the utmost importance for continued growth of the economy and job creation in South Africa. The DA would advise that government review the failure of their land reform programmes by ensuring that the new land beneficiaries have adequate post-settlement financial and other support. People with an interest in farming need to be identified. They need to be trained and have proper mentorship programmes and partnership agreements with former landowners in place to ensure that production is maintained.
I also believe that the extension services should be strengthened by commodity-based mentorships through which great successes have been achieved in the past.
Daar is 'n behoefte aan 'n landbouhandelsbeleid wat beter na Suid-Afrika se belange sal omsien. Daar is 'n behoefte aan 'n beleid wat 'n balans moet handhaaf tussen die voedselbekostigbaarheids-vraagstuk en die meriete daarvan, om die effek van onregverdige invoere wat deur die regering gesubsidieer word, met toepaslike invoertariewe te neutraliseer.
Beleidsriglyne hiervoor bestaan reeds 'n geruime tyd, maar dit word nie toegepas nie. Deur ni tariewe toe te pas nie, word die regeringsuitbreiding van plaaslike produksie benadeel, wat sou kon bydra tot verbeterde voedselsekerheid, werkskepping, landelike ontwikkeling en selfs uitvoere. Tans wag die koringprodusente steeds dringend op die uitkoms van 'n tariefaansoek by die Kommissie vir Internasionale Handel en Administrasie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[There exists a need for an agricultural trade policy that would take better care of South Africa's interests. There exists a need for a policy that would by way of tariffs applicable to imports maintain a balance between food affordability and the merits thereof in order to neutralise the effect of unfair imports that are being subsidised by the government.
Policy guidelines in this regard have been in existence for quite some time, but they are not being implemented. The increase of local products by the state is being negatively affected because they are not being applied, which could have contributed to improving food security, job creation, rural development and even exports. The wheat producers are currently urgently waiting on the outcome of a tariff application from the International Trade Administration Commission.]
The fact that Minister Sexwale is blaming farmers for millions of people living in more than 2 600 squatter camps around the country, because many farmers chased millions of black people off their farms, is completely misplaced and he is showing his ignorance of the facts.
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe recently alleged that farmers exploit foreign nationals by reducing them to cheap labour and that this results in farmers being killed out of anger and revenge. This statement is profoundly misguided and ignores the facts surrounding this sensitive issue.
The facts are that more than 3 000 farmers, black and white, have been murdered since 1990. This is a trend that is still continuing and escalating. Very few, if any, of these murders were the result of foreigners employed on farms. Instead, there is a strong case to be made that a significant number are the consequences of inflammatory speeches by political leaders, including Julius Malema stubbornly and continually singing the "Kill the farmer, kill the boer" song.
Certainly, a great many are the consequences of nothing more than crime and inflamed hatred, as the gruesome circumstances surrounding many farm attacks attests to. The recent unnecessary and brutal murder of Mr Eugene Terre'Blanche and the circumstances surrounding it have harmed reconciliation, as well as the image of the country internationally.
In closure, the DA looks forward towards a more constructive relationship with the Minister and her department in order to take agricultural development, food security and our country forward. I thank you. [Applause.]