AGRIBUSINESS GROUP SOUGHT COLLECTIVE ACTION TO CRACK AGRIBEE BENCHMARKS
28 May 2008
In a joint meeting held last weekend between the National Executive Council of NERPO and BAASA Holdings Ltd, collective action was pronounced as the only way with which to fast-track the stagnant Black Economic Empowerment in Agriculture otherwise known as the AgriBEE. “Since the inception of the democratic government there has not been a significant drive for Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) especially in the agri-value chain. Though the Agribusiness Group acknowledges the strides made by the Department of Agriculture in terms of food security, farmer support and development programmes, agriculture is far behind other departments like the Department of Minerals and Energy in ensuring that black individuals have a meaningful participation in Agri-business as it is contained in the Agriculture Sector Plan” said Aggrey Mahanjana, the Group Managing Director of NERPO.
Both NERPO and BAASA sought an integrated and collective model which will ensure that emerging farmers do not only consume the services of government but assists government in meeting its obligations and commitment with regards to empowerment of black owned farming enterprises. Through AgriBEE, government is among other things expected to increase participation of blacks in the value chain of the agricultural industry, as entrepreneurs, commercial farmers and owners of productive agricultural land.
Now that the AgriBEE Charter has recently been approved by the Ministry of Trade and Industry in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Affairs, the Agribusiness group hopes to see a significant change of pace and impact in the implementation of the AgriBEE.
This Agribusiness Group also raised a concern about the apparent collapse of the Land Bank, which should have been the front runner of AgriBEE financing. The Group insisted that the Department of Agriculture “must put a significant budget and/or facilitates so as to ensure that these AgriBEE deals are not only development project but real business projects.”
The group further resolved to take these matters with the key players including the National Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs as well as Land and Agricultural Bank of South Africa to ensure their meaningful participation in commercial livestock farming, agro-processing and related industries.
The group was represented by BAASA Holding Ltd a Broad Based Black Owned Company, established in 1997 by amongst others, National African Farmers Union (NAFU) and National Emergent Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (NERPO), whose total membership is comprised of 78 000 small scale farmers countrywide. In addition to these two major shareholders, BAASA consists of small to medium size black businesses and a diverse group of black professionals from the Agriculture Sector.
Enquiries
Aggrey Mahanjana
Group Managing Director
Tel : +27 12 361 9127
Cell : +27 82 556 7297
E-mail : aggreym@nerpo.org.za
Website : www.nerpo.org.za
Or
Bonile Jack-Pama
Chairperson BAASA Holdings Ltd
Cell : +27 82 881 3129
E-mail : info@pamaholdings.co.za
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