Madam Chair, hon members of the House, the DA will support this Vote, but we would like to note the following issues. On the reshuffling of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, I would like to point out that the previous Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs was divided into two separate departments, and, with the addition of Forestry and Fisheries to the Department of Agriculture, a whole new dispensation was created with no clear indication of how resources and personnel would be allocated.
Noting that, the new Minister's attitude to taking charge of the challenges with regard to securing food self-sufficiency and rural development needs time before it can be judged.
The DA believes that the department needs to develop and facilitate the implementation of appropriate policies and targeted programmes, aimed at promoting equitable access to the agricultural sector and to promote shared growth and commercial viability of emerging farmers.
Furthermore, government must have a clear regulatory framework based on the free-market system to regulate and announce investment in the sector. We also note that the performance and delivery of the previous Minister was poor, and, if we had to judge her department's performance the DA would have seriously considered opposing the vote.
As a result of the previous Minister's confrontational stance to commercial agriculture, we have seen a huge disinvestment and decline in employment, as well as an exodus of producers from this important sector. The DA seriously urges government to improve its appraisal of the sector, giving attention to a more balanced focus on economic viability of the sector versus implementing its transformation strategy. Sufficient resources need to be allocated to this important sector to achieve its objectives, to improve food production, job creation and rural development. I thank you. [Applause.]