APPROPRIATION
BILL
(Second Reading Debate)
Vote 11 – Agriculture R155 350 000.
The
SPEAKER: We proceed to
Motions and Motion 1 reads as follows:
That the Second Reading Debate of the Appropriation Bill be continued.
The hon
MEC, Mr Oelrich.
Mr
H H v M OELRICH (MEC): Hon Speaker, Madam Premier of the Free State
Province, Me Winkie Direko, Members of the Executive Council, Members of the
National Parliament, Members of the Provincial Legislature, Members of the
NCOP, mayors and councilors, Marena le Dikgosi [Traditional Leaders],
distinguished guests, fellow Free Staters.
May I just start by having a correction
made to a written document before you on page 2? Towards the end of that page, you will see
that there is a word that says “privatisation” that is not correct,
it was supposed to read “A Lease Agreement”.
So, please keep that in mind.
May I then also thank the Directors who
made the peaches available? Through you,
hon Speaker, may I just tell the hon Member, Mr Oosthuizen, that these peaches
are not meant to be thrown at me? They
were grown by emerging farmers in the Senekal district, on a farm known for its
quality peaches, called Boiteko. We appreciate their donation to us.
Agriculture
is a very complex and highly organised sphere of business that is managed in a
high-risk environment influenced by variable climatic conditions. A farmer has to understand these complexities
in order to survive.
The challenge for us as a Department is
to promote and facilitate the development of new business orientated
entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector - while maintaining the support of
established entrepreneurs. In the
As the gold and diamond based economy
declines, we must look for increased economic development in the agricultural sector
as an alternative. Farmers in the
Only 11% of the primary
products produced in the
Access to markets is
vital in the agricultural sector. We
therefore render agricultural economic services and support the development of
network infrastructures that open communication networks with various market
places. To accomplish the goals
prioritised in the Free State Development Plan and those outlined in the
recently adopted National Agriculture Sector Strategy, the Department has
realigned its Strategic Plan.
For us to achieve maximum results with
regard to these economic initiatives, we will require not only the commitment
and energetic involvement of our Department, but the building of a strong
partnership with all key players. One of our responsibilities will be the
establishment of a consultative forum of all relevant stakeholders on
agricultural and agricultural related matters.
Investment in the economic
infrastructure has been prioritised to support beneficiaries of land reform and
to establish sustainable food and income-generating activities. Our Department has negotiated with the
European Commission, developed strategies of fast tracking the disbursement of
funds from the Community Projects Fund Support Programme (CPFSP). This has resulted in the reorganisation of
the whole programme.
The European Commission
has indicated its willingness to fund eight additional posts in that Division. We
have requested the programme to be extended until March 2006, as well as for an
increase in the individual grant. In the
past, this programme was a household grant, but it is now to be an individual
grant so as to be in line with the Land Affairs policy for land redistribution.
We will establish call
centres for our clients to register their comments about services that we
provide. This action should improve the
inter-action between the Department and our clients and thereby achieve one of
the principles of Batho Pele (People
First).
In its endeavour to
create jobs and defeat underdevelopment, the Department has approved 42
business plans of community projects during the 2001/2002 financial year, to
the total grant expenditure of over R4 million. This fund aims to benefit all
sectors of our communities including youth, women and the disabled.
During the next financial
year many more projects will be approved and implemented and we anticipate
spending R70 million on farmer settlement support and infrastructure
development programmes.
Agricultural training and research are
tools that must be used to fight poverty in our Province, especially in poverty
stricken rural communities. The
long-term future of a home for the Glen College of Agriculture and the Research
Unit has not yet been resolved, but this does not impact on their functioning
on the short and medium terms. These
issues are being discussed at national level and we will remain functional
until a final decision is taken.
Farm systems and applied
research are also undertaken at Glen Research Farm primarily in the fields of
crop and animal production and pasture management. A soil and water laboratory complements the
research activities. All these research
programmes are performed to optimise plant and livestock health and production.
Glen College of
Agriculture plays a vital role in the development of potential farmers and
agriculturists. The pass rate has
dramatically improved in the past calendar year. The challenges facing the college include inter alia, constituting a multi-racial institution, the establishment of
outreach higher learning programmes and the establishment of strong
partnerships and co-ordination with other institutions and the private sector.
We will also continue
with the Study Group Programme in the Province.
This is a programme that enables commercial farmers to meet and exchange
ideas. This year we will establish study
groups for emerging farmers.
In order to encourage
young people to pursue agriculture as a career and to help develop future
potential farmers, the Department will continue to be engaged in a Youth Career
Guidance Programme in the agricultural field at various schools in the
Province.
The Department will
continue to encourage and empower women in agriculture. Programmes such as the Female Farmer of the
Year Competition will continue.
Our approach in assisting farmers in
the field is to have a shift of emphasis so that the extension and development
staff of our Department can act as facilitators in order to give the best
assistance to our entire farmer clients.
They will be able to assist farmers in making contact with the Technical
Services staff of our Department, with other departments who may be involved in
the same area, as well as with the private sector that can offer a service to
farmers.
Extension and development
staff will focus on their core function of facilitating and providing
after-care to our clients.
The role of Veterinary
Services is critical to our clients. The
Department renders services such as veterinary animal health, veterinary public
health and diagnostic services to farmers and the public in general.
Towards the end of the
past calendar year, the Department conducted and completed - within the
national time frame - a survey on Foot and Mouth disease. The main objective of this survey was to
prove to the international community that the
Provision of training and education on
the Meat Safety Act is one of the critical aspects of veterinary services. The
Laboratory and diagnostic
services, which are vital to livestock farmers, are offered in the Department’s
laboratories in
The Department, in
partnership with the National Department of Agriculture, will erect animal
health centres throughout the underdeveloped areas of the Province to give
livestock owners access to veterinary services such as dipping, treating and
sampling. We will also conduct an animal
census this year.
Cold caused the deaths of
thousands of animals in the eastern parts of the Province during last
Winter. Departmental officials assisted
farmers with the completion of application forms for disaster relief. This is usually a very lengthy process, but I
am glad to confirm that support for the flood victims of 2000 has been
announced.
Our Department in
partnership with the Provincial Office of Land Affairs will ensure that land reform is fast-tracked in the
Province. To ensure that we achieve this
aim, we have set ourselves bold but realistic goals to enable us to gauge the
progress we will be making. The
Provincial Grants Committee, which is a body that approves grants for land
reform projects, that used to sit once a month, now sits weekly.
We have successfully implemented the national initiative encouraging the
involvement of the Land Bank in land redistribution.
The Provincial Grants
Committee managed to approve 97 projects of over 25 000 hectares of land to a total
value of over R20 million during the 2001/2002 financial year. This created direct jobs opportunities to 574
people in our Province. Those are
figures that are already updated because last week new figures came in and
every week new figures are added.
In collaboration with the
Provincial Office of Land Affairs, we will spend R23 million on land
redistribution in the next financial year.
This action will create jobs and allow the beneficiaries themselves to
create new economic opportunities.
Our vision and actions
with regard to land reform are based on the Manifesto of the people of
The
land shall be shared among those who work it.
As part of our
implementation action and the strategy to address issues of the landless, food
security and creation of jobs, the Department will effectively adapt and
implement the recently adopted National Agriculture Sector Strategy in the
province. A summary of the strategy is
at the back of your folders.
The Department will work
towards the creation of an economic environment that will encourage farmers to
create jobs without which it will be impossible to defeat the scourge of
poverty and unemployment. We will
encourage partnerships and mentorships between emerging and established farmers
in order to realise the objective of a better life for all. This will assist emerging farmers with issues
such as marketing and it will also extend their contact and interaction with
the rest of the country and the continent as a whole, enabling them to
participate in the processes of NEPAD
(the New Partnership for
Sustainable
agricultural development requires that we maintain our natural resources to
ensure that we have land for future generations. Critical in this regard is the matter of
natural resource management. We will,
through funds from the National Department of Agriculture, financially support
farmers through the Land Care Programme.
Training
on natural resource management will also be given to beneficiaries of land
reform. Additional structures such as irrigation systems, fencing,
water-troughs, subsurface drainage systems, waterways and contours will be
constructed in the new financial year.
Various projects were funded by over R1 million through the Land Care
Programme during this passing financial year.
During the next financial year of 2002/2003, R1.4 million will be spent
on Land Care Projects in various places in the Province.
The budget for 2002/2003
financial year is R155 350 million.
The macro organisational
structure of the Department is reviewed annually to align it with the political
and social ambit in which it operates and to better address the development
needs of its clients. The year 2000/2001
brought about the strengthening of the management echelons of the Department
through centralisation to Head Office.
The number of districts
within which the Department operates were also increased from three to five to
conform to the district delineation of activities of the Provincial
Government. The budget for 2002/2003
shows an increase of 23,4% on the nominal appropriation for 2001/2002.
I now present to you the
allocated budget for various programmes of the Department for the 2002/2003
financial year.
Entails the planning,
organisation, co-ordination, funding and control of functions of the
Department. An amount of R3.421 million
will be spent on the overall management of my Office, the Head of the
Department’s Office and that of the Legal Support and Labour Relations. The Department will appoint the Head of the
Department at a Deputy Director-General level in the near future.
Our core
function deals with the provision of integrated multi-disciplinary Extension
and Agricultural Development services to the community. The services are co-ordinated from five
district offices strategically placed within each district area. The overall management of the programme is
performed from the Head Office. An
amount of R51.960 million will be spent through this programme.
Renders
services such as veterinary services, research, non-formal training,
agricultural economic services, agricultural engineering services, farming
information and natural resource management.
The programme also deals with the maintenance and development of the
Glen farm. An amount of R28.762 million
will be spent through this programme.
PROGRAMME
4: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND MANAGEMENT
SUPPORT
Is a new programme, which
deals with the full implementation of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA)
in the Department. The programme has
sub-programmes such as Strategic Financial Management, Financial Planning and
Control, Productivity Development and Resource Utilisation and Project
Management Unit Support. An amount of
R9.888 million will be spent through this programme.
Renders Personnel, Human
Resource Development, Financial Accounting and Provisioning, Departmental
Support Services and Communication and Public Relations Services. An amount of R32.394 million will be spent in
the 2002/2003 financial year.
Formal Agricultural
Training was previously part of the Technical Services Directorates and it is
now an independent budget programme.
This shift is necessitated by the uncertainty surrounding the future
institutional arrangements regarding all Agricultural Colleges in the
country. In the meanwhile, the college’s
short- and medium-term functions have to be implemented. An amount of R8.245 million will be spent on
formal training.
PROGRAMME 7:
STAFF ADDITIONAL TO THE ESTABLISHMENT
This programme deals with
all matters associated with staff members additional to the establishment of
the Department. The Department is once
again providing fully for the salary and subsistence needs of all staff additional
to the establishment, pending the design and implementation of feasible
permanent solutions for this issue.
Some of these staff
members are now performing a security function at Glen and Thaba Nchu and some
will be performing a function of maintenance of urban and rural infrastructure
in the future. The Department is in
active support of the measures of permanently resolving this issue. An amount of R20.680 million will be spent
through this programme.
I would like to take this
opportunity to pay tribute to all our farmers, of all colours, for their
contribution towards economic growth, eradication of poverty and
underdevelopment in our Province. You
are assisting the Government in achieving its overall objective of a nation at work
for a better life for all. I would also
like to thank the staff of our Department for their dedication and hard work in
serving our clients.
For us to achieve our
vision of a vibrant and a united agricultural sector in the
In the same token, we
call on all farming communities in our Province to heed the Premier’s call to
root out any vestiges of racist conduct and inhumane behaviour that may still
exist. As much as we are aware of the
fact that these acts are performed by a few, we must, as a whole, condemn
them. We must continue to build a sector
free of racism, sexism and related intolerance.
As a sector and as Free
Staters, we must advance and respond to the call - Vuk’uzenzele. Let us focus
on enabling the people to be their own liberators and enable them to occupy the
driving-seat in the Reconstruction and Development Programme of our Province
and the country in general.
This being the Letsema year of volunteers, our
Department will be engaged, for the purposes of reconstruction and development,
in the campaign, under the theme: “Know your Neighbour”. We hope to encourage farmers to get to know
their neighbours as the first step towards unity, safety and co-operation.
I implore you all to walk
the extra mile and volunteer to do that little bit more towards shaping and
improving our agricultural sector.
Please share my vision of an agricultural sector that has become strong
through a unity of purpose developed in building a society committed to
sustained economic growth and human empowerment. Having the vote does not necessarily ensure
the dignity of a nation. It is only when
liberated citizens can take pride in the fruits of their labour, when they know
that they can feed and provide for their families that true freedom is
obtained.
We need to maintain at
least a 6% growth rate to be able to achieve this. In so doing we will uplift the people of the
Vuk’uzenzele! Tsoha o
Iketsetse! Rise and make it happen for yourself! Africa
ke Nako! [Applause]