Steenhuisen’s Agricultural Master Plan sparks concerns, farmers call for consultation

The farming community is concerned about Minister of Agricutlure John Steenhuisen’s plan to push forward with the Agricultural and Agro-Processing Master Plan without talking to the farmers.

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

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

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The plan focuses on five pillars that include ensuring accountability, promoting professionalism and improving image, recruitment of extension personnel, reskilling and reorientation of extension and provision of information communication technology and other resources.

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

In a joint atatement, TLU SA, Wildlife Ranching SA, employers’ organisation Neasa and the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai) expressed concerns about implementing the current plan.

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

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Saai chair Theo de Jager said the unacceptable principles under ANC management were not suddenly acceptable just because they are now under DA management.

He said farmers expect Steenhuisen to correct the course where the ANC’s destructive ideological stance had derailed agriculture.

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

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“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 must revitalise the agricultural environment with fresh economic principles – that 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 the drafting of the plan,” he said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“We should instead focus on profitability, effectiveness and sustainability.”

Van Zyl said at least Steenhuisen 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 defines transformation and the implications.”

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Free State farmer Tewie Wessels said one of the biggest mistakes made by the previous minister, and that the ANC still makes, was being out of touch with what happens on the ground.

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

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

Wessels said it was good that Steenhuisen has Annette Steyn as his official advisor who also farms, “but he needs to come speak to us”.