Steenhuisen’s Agricultural Master Plan raises concerns, farmers ask for consultation-Ronelle Snyders

The focus should be on “profitability, efficiency, sustainability,” farmers say.

The farming community is concerned about Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen’s plan to proceed with the Agricultural and Agricultural Processing Master Plan without speaking to the farmers.

The Masterplan aims to promote inclusive growth, competitiveness, transformation, employment and food security through equitable, inclusive and competitive work-creating activities.

This will enable greater inclusion and participation of small-scale and emerging farmers and strengthen rural livelihoods through the promotion of work-intensive farming.

The plan focuses on five pillars that include ensuring accountability, promoting professionalism and improving image, recruiting extension staff, re-educating and reorienting expansion and provision of information communication technology and other resources.

Farmers, however, were concerned that the plan was ideologically driven and questioned the transformation policy, fearing that it would suffer the same slow death as state entities such as Transnet and South African Airways.

In a joint statement, TLU SA, Wildlife Ranching SA, employers’ organisation Neasa and the Southern African Agri-Initiative (Saai) expressed concern about the implementation of the current plan.

Many farmers have questioned or oppose the proposed regulations and plans for transformation.

Saai chairperson Theo de Jager said the unacceptable principles under ANC management were not suddenly acceptable just because they were now under DA management. He said farmers expected Steenhuisen to correct the course where the ANC’s destructive ideological stance had derailed agriculture.

Bennie van Zyl, general manager of TLU SA, said voters had made it clear during the elections that the ANC’s direction was unacceptable.

“There is great concern if the Government of National Unity (GNU) continues on the destructive path of the ANC’s policy direction,” he said.

“Steenhuisen needs to revive the agricultural environment with fresh economic principles – this is what South Africa needs.”

Van Zyl said Steenhuisen’s perception that the plan enjoys wide buy-in from the sector was false.

“There was nothing inclusive about creating the plan,” he said.

“Apart from family farmers, game farmers, agricultural employers and consumers who were deliberately excluded, some participants such as TLU SA were later excluded because the organisation questioned the implementation of transformation as cadre deployment.”

Van Zyl said farmers had to learn over the past 30 years to survive the ANC and do without a functional department.

“The bloc of organisations excluded by the ANC, which has therefore started writing an alternative, more market-friendly master plan, will continue to create resilient structures and opportunities.

“They will also put pressure on the department to develop a policy environment where small and medium farmers can farm profitably.

“We are concerned that the agricultural plan was adopted without qualification during the ANC’s time of command.

“There’s stuff about transformation that hasn’t been cleared up. We all feel that this plan needs adjustments and are in discussions with the department about it,” he said.

“Instead, we need to focus on profitability, efficiency and sustainability.”

Van Zyl said Steenhuisen at least understood the economy and had an open-door approach.

Farmers ask: What defines transformation?
“There is nothing wrong with the pillars in the plan, but we want to know what transformation is and define the implications.”

Free State farmer Tewie Wessels said one of the biggest mistakes the previous minister made, and what the ANC still makes, is to be out of touch with what is happening on the ground.

“They are out of touch and pull up all these plans but don’t talk to the farmers. They’re not asking us what we need,” he said.

Wessels said Steenhuisen had to tour the country and talk to farmers from the different regions and then start planning.

Wessels said it was good that Steenhuisen had Annette Steyn as his official adviser who also farms, “but he needs to come and talk to us”.

source:Steenhuisen’s Agricultural Master Plan raises concerns, farmers ask for consultation – People’s Power News (volkskrag.co.za)