NAFU, Agri SA commit to working with the new government to address challenges in the farming sector

THE National African Farmers Union (NAFU) believes South Africa has, for the past 30 years, placed little significance to the national departments of agriculture, and land reform and rural development.

In a statement on Wednesday, the union’s president, Motsepe Matlala, said the two departments have been changed and unbundled many times since 1994 to the detriment of the farming sector.

“This, in our view, has negatively affected the service delivery required by the farming community in South Africa.

“Unfortunately, governments, especially in Africa, including our own have not considered the significant role which this department can play for the benefits of the people of this country. That is why several ministers have been changed many times under the various administrations.

“Consequently, and to a large extent, even officials working in the department have been affected and their morale adversely impacted upon, thus impeding the objective of successfully enabling farming in general,” Matlala said.

It was against this background that the union called for a meeting with newly-appointed agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen, and land reform and rural development minister, Mzwanele Nyhontso.

Matlala said the meeting will focus on some long-standing challenges which include a decline in agriculture activities in certain areas, financial constraints for many of the farmers, input costs and prizing challenges including participation in Africa free trade agreements, and land related matters.

He said the MECs responsible for agriculture, and land reform and rural development in the nine provinces will hopefully work with the national departments to achieve the expected results.

Agri SA, the biggest farmer organisation in South Africa, has earlier also voiced its commitment in supporting the government of national unity to foster “a cohesive and collaborative approach to addressing the sector’s challenges”.