SPEECH BY MR EJ LUCAS MP
BUDGET VOTES 24 AND 28 AGRICULTURE AND LAND AFFAIRS
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Parliament 18 May 2007

Madam Speaker,

The work of the Departments of Agriculture and Land Affairs is very important to all South Africans and has the potential to positively affect their lives both economically and socially. It is therefore imperative that these two departments receive the necessary support needed to achieve their objectives.

The aim of Land Affairs is to create and maintain an equitable and sustainable land dispensation that results in social and economic development for all South Africans.

The allocation to budget vote 28, Land Affairs has increased from R3,3 billion in the 2006/07 adjusted appropriation to almost R5,7 billion this year. The bulk of this sum is allocated to the Restitution programme which will receive R3,2 billion and the Land Reform programme which will receive R1,7 billion.

Madame Speaker matters dealing with land reform and restitution are very emotive and potentially explosive; they therefore need to be handled with the utmost care. It is imperative that the relevant authorities within the Department rise to these challenges and deal with them in an equitable and just manner that will result in an amicable agreement being reached between all the parties concerned. It is also important that this process not be prolonged unnecessarily as this will just lead to irritation and heightened tension between the affected parties.

The overall allocation to budget vote 24, Agriculture, has decreased by 8,4% from R2,37 billion in the 2006/07 adjusted appropriation to R2,28 billion in 2007/08. The department reports that the higher expenditure from 2005/06 to 2006/07 is due to unforeseen expenditure. The expenditure of the department over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) is expected to decline in real terms by 4,1%.

All South Africans can be proud of the many successes that have been achieved since the first democratic elections were held in 1994. There are, however, some critical areas where success has been sorely lacking. Two of these are poverty alleviation; and the economic growth and development of the rural areas, including job creation in these areas. We, in the IFP, believe that agriculture can play a leading and successful role in combating these ills and truly creating a better life for all South Africans and not just for a select few. This is also the reason why we are disappointed that this budget vote has not received an increase to its allocation.

The abject poverty and dire economic prospects that people in our rural area are faced with every day of their lives contributes to their fleeing these areas for the urban cities and towns in search of a better life and as an escape from these conditions. This in turn exacerbates problems such as overcrowding and competition for resources that are experienced in these urban areas. Successful agricultural programmes can play a major role in addressing these problems.

The development of our rural areas, through agriculture and agricultural programmes must become a priority if we are to improve the lives and prospects of the many people who live in these areas. The provision of food security is obviously the priority, but this must not be the department's only objective in the rural areas. Once food security has been achieved, economic and social development and upliftment must be must be tackled with vigour and innovation. The creation of employment and economic opportunities in rural areas will curb the migration of people from rural to urban areas and in so doing, ease some of the problems that come with overcrowding in urban areas. The Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs should be innovative in its approaches to improve the lives of the many people who live in rural areas. We cannot ignore these people, or deal with them as an afterthought, and let them lose out on the development and successes being achieved in the rest of our country.

The support and promotion of emerging farmers is very important and we do note that the Department does have programmes in place such as the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) and MAFISA which are tasked with supporting emerging farmers and ensuring that their businesses are commercially viable. We still, however, believe that more can and must be done to support farmers especially with regard to the technical aspects of farming. This is the vital element that will determine whether a farmer will be a commercial success or not.

Since 1994, one of the many successes has been the promotion and empowerment of women in South Africa. Farming is no exception, and the empowerment of women in this sector should be a priority. We know that this is an issue that is very close to the Honourable Minster and we therefore have full confidence that she will address this important topic as such.

Advances in technology have changed the way that people farm and cultivate their crops. Methods that were used successfully a few years ago are now obsolete and no longer commercially viable. The agricultural industry has to be aware, and make use, of the latest technologies and techniques if they are to compete commercially and contribute to economic development as well as the growth of the industry.

With regard to technological advancements in farming, issues surrounding the development and contribution of genetically modified crops to alleviate poverty, especially in Africa, are shrouded in controversy and mystery.

There are many conflicting views and opinions on this controversial topic and the resultant dangers and benefits that it poses. Proponents of these crops claim that they are the solution to Africa, and the world's, poverty problems while others claim that they will cause more damage than good. It therefore imperative that this important topic be thoroughly explored as genetically modified crops can have a major impact, either positive or negative, on the fortunes and future of Africa.

The last point that I would like to raise in this debate is that of biofuels. With the skyrocketing fuel price and the resultant increases in the prices of other goods as well as the effects of climate change, the role of biofuels has become more prominent. There are many contrasting views concerning the benefits and drawbacks of biofuels and we, in the IFP, believe that this important topic needs to investigated further, especially with regard to the impact that it could have on food security and ultimately poverty. Maybe the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, together with other concerned authorities and stakeholders, should hold a workshop or summit where more information about biofuels can be gathered and the different views can be weighed up and further explored.

We support this budget vote.

I thank you.