NERPO CALLS FOR THE NATIONAL TREASURY TO REVIEW BUDGET ALLOCATION FOR THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
06 Nov 2009
At the 12th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the National Emergent Red Meat Producers’ Organization (NERPO), South Africa’s emerging livestock farmers expressed their displeasure with the National Treasury’s decision to cut-down on the agricultural budget allocation. The well attended AGM that was held at the University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort in Tshwane, called on the new Minister of Finance, Dr. Pravin Gordhan, to acutely review his budget allocation for the agricultural sector.
“Our members have expressed their disappointment at the recent budget allocation for Agriculture. Our records show that the allocation has dropped from 0.62% of the total national budget in 2008/9 to 0.44% in 2009/10. This is despite the Maputo declaration of 2004, in which all Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries committed themselves to ensuring that the agriculture and food security budget progressively increases to 10% of the national budget between 2004 and 2010” said Aggrey Mahanajana, NERPO’s Group Managing Director.
“Agriculture remains the cornerstone of the country’s economy and should receive the recognition it deserves. The Board and Management have now been tasked by the AGM to go and persuade the National Treasury to seriously consider fulfilling the Maputo declaration. ” he added.
Mahanjana further revealed that the matter will also be discussed at a meeting scheduled with the Secretary General of the AN, Mr. Gwede Mantashe, with a view to garner support of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party. NERPO’s meeting with Mr. Mantashe will take place on the 19th of November 2009 at Luthuli House in Johannesburg.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of NERPO, Mr. Wilson Muvhulawa, told delegates that although the organization has worked tirelessly in lobbying government on various pressing policy matters, “a lot is yet to be achieved in ensuring that such matters are attended to and implemented by government”.
The AGM has therefore resolved that the National Executive Committee and Management of NERP0 should continue on its rampant strategy of lobbying government and other key role players, so as to ensure that the following matters are well addressed and implemented by government.
These resolutions include, but are not limited to:
• Government social grants. NERPO has realised that social grants are destroying the social systems in their communities and encouraging laziness amongst community members. The grant system has impacted negatively on the availability of labour for farming activities. NERPO therefore resolves that people who are able to work should work for their social grants in community projects such as community gardens and construction works;
• Political Instability: NERPO expressed the organisation’s dissatisfaction with political instability, especially in the provinces. No lasting relationship can be established with the MECs and senior staff of the provincial departments of agriculture as they are regularly changed;
• Complications in accessing drought relief. Farmers are sometimes forced to wait almost for three years or more before receiving relief interventions from government, if they do receive such relief at all. In most cases farmers to not receive the quantities of feed which they requested;
• Stock theft continues to be a serious menace to livestock farmers. An integrated but more effective and no-nonsense judicial system is required to curb stock theft throughout the length and breadth of South Africa. The system should also be tighter on border management and controls;
• Oversight of the Land Bank: The organization is deeply concerned about how the Land Bank has been run over the years; its accessibility and inability to assist the emerging farmers owing to the reported mismanagement and misappropriation of funds meant for AgriBEE. The organization calls for an immediate intervention from government but more importantly that the Land Bank be under the oversight of the National Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF);
• Post Settlement Support of the Land Reform projects: NERPO has noted the number of farms allocated to the historically disadvantaged individuals but is concerned about how government has dealt with the post-settlement support programmes, most which have proven government’s inability to deal with the problem; and
• Proper management of communal and production land. NERPO calls for the Department of Rural Development and Land Affairs to consider forging ties with organized agriculture and traditional leaders in finding solutions to long overdue challenges on proper management of communal grazing land.
NERPO is the official mouthpiece of South Africa’s emerging livestock farmers and has successfully represented their interests for 13 years.
End.
Further enquiries can de directed to:
Aggrey Mahanjana
Group Managing Director – NERPO Group
Cell : +27 (0) 82 556 7297
Tel : +27 (0) 12 348 8566
Email : jennyb@nerpo.org.za
Web : www.nerpo.org.za
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