STOCK THEFT HIGH ON GOVERNMENT'S AGENDA
28 Aug 2009
The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson has assured South Africa’s red meat producers of a no-nonsense plan to combat the scourge stock theft in the country.
The Minister’s reassurance was made this morning at a closed meeting between her Ministry and the Group Managing Director of the National Emergent Red Meat Producers Organization (NERPO) Mr. Aggrey Mahanjana and the Chief Executive Officer of the Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO), Mr Gerhard Schutte, both representing the country’s red meat producers emerging and large scale.
This round table meeting was, in the main, aimed at appraising the Minister of the barriers that are hindering the growth and development of the red meat industry. The pressing issues raised at the meeting included:
• Combating of stock theft;
• Damage causing animals;
• Effective implementation of land reform post-settlement programmes;
• Animal health issues, including snot…..;
• Implementation of effective infrastructural development;
• Speedy and effective Implementation of the AgriBEE;
• National agricultural database and/or statistics; and
• Review of the agricultural disaster management system.
The Minister told the two representatives that her department is hard at work consolidating a seven (7) point plan that will curb this national scourge that is costing red meat producers a minimum of R3 million per annum.
“The stock theft issue is high on the government’s agenda; we have already sensitized the Cabinet to what we have planned in this regard. We will in due course release the details of the 7 point plan on how we intend rooting out stock theft in this country” said the visibly energetic Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson.
NERPO’s Group Managing Director has already appealed for all key departments to co-ordinate a plan on how best to deal with the stock theft problem.
In his call, Mr. Mahanjana highlighted that the Ministries of Defence and Military Veterans, Justice and Constitutional Development, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and South African Police Service, collectively need to devise a stock theft combating plan that will stop at nothing in dealing with the culprits of stock theft.
“We want this matter to be looked at comprehensively, because not only DAFF can effectively deal with this problem. Government must tighten control management at the borders; magistrate courts must effectively deal with cases relating to stock theft, while police need to successfully arrest individuals and syndicates behind stock theft” said the outspoken Aggrey Mahanjana.
Meanwhile, Mr Gerhard Schutte of the commercial Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO), has applauded the Minister for her plans to do a complete overhaul of the Disaster Management Strategy. “It excites me to see the Minister’s determination in dealing with these issues, especially ensuring that we have effective Disaster Management System” he said
The Minister also promised red meat producers of a one-stop-shop that will reach out to all the districts in providing agricultural support services and information that ranges from funding schemes, agricultural support programmes and services aimed at developing farmers, both emerging and commercial.
She further committed a substantial amount of R50 million to be used for fencing, nationally, something that has been warmly welcomed by NERPO, which represents emerging livestock farmers who are largely farming communally in rural areas.
“Extension services will also be tightened and effectively managed to ensure that farmers receive all the necessary information and services from extension officers who currently work closely with the farmers” added Ms Joemat-Pettersson.
The Minister has also invited both NERPO and RPO to actively play a role in her department’s plan on livestock improvement; an invitation that was eagerly received by both organizations.
Regular meetings will be held between the red meat producers and the Minister, to ensure that there is proper implementation of farmer development programmes and projects while monitoring progress on all of the undertakings made at the meeting.
End
Further Enquiries:
Aggrey Mahanjana
Group Managing Director – NERPO Group
Cell : +27 (0) 82 556 7297
Tel : +27 (0) 12 348 8566
Email : finance@nerpo.org.za
Web : www.nerpo.org.za
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