Complete PDF of Budget Speech

Land, water, people and consequently LIFE forms the basis of agriculture.

The total budget for the Department of Agriculture in the Western Cape is R290 212 000.00

The Department is divided into seven programmes that are responsible for the day to day running of its own affairs and for service delivery to the Agricultural Sector, in line with the vision and policies of the Provincial and National Government.

1. Administration -R46 298 000
2. Sustainable Resource Management -R37 383 000
3. Farmer Support and Development -R84 586 000
4. Veterinary Services -R33 383 000
5. Technology Research and Development -R50 025 000
6. Agricultural Economics -R9 050 000
7. Structured Agricultural Training -R24 487 000

With the R290,2 million of 2007/08 we not only intend to buy tractors and build animal housing facilities, but rather build on people’s ability to sustain themselves. Through the seeds and fertiliser we give to the food gardeners of Khayelitsha and Philippi, we help send their children to school with full stomachs. By awarding bursaries or giving training, we give young people opportunities - a life full of possibilities.

By doing research and transferring the newly gained knowledge to our emerging and commercial farmers, we help create and maintain employment and help earn valuable foreign exchange for the Province. What I’m trying to say is that our budget buys so much more than mere goods and services. It buys hope and progress and eventually a better Home for All.

And if you need all of this in terms of the bare facts, Agriculture in the Western Cape contributes approximately 4% to the gross domestic product of the region. However, if the City of Cape Town is excluded from the calculation, the contribution of agriculture is 14%, highlighting the socio economic importance of agriculture in the rural areas of the Western Cape. Within municipal districts the contribution of agriculture to the GDPR within each district ranges between 7% in the Eden district and 21% in the Overberg District.

With their just more than R33 million our Vets will once again protect our animals and consequently our citizens from harmful diseases and illnesses.

Free basic animal health care services are provided by Veterinary Services.

An example of this is a project centered on the Cape Flats entailing the vaccination of dogs and cats against rabies, with simultaneous deworming against internal parasites. A total of 43 711 dogs and cats were vaccinated against Rabies and 20 878 dewormed in the following areas: Nyanga, Gugulethu, Sir Lowry’s Pass village, Chris Nissen Park and Makhaza to name but a few. At a total cost of R 214 386,

Furthermore, the Vets audit 63 red meat and 19 poultry abattoirs in the province to ensure consumer safety and well being. More than 150 000 tons of meat are slaughtered annually and are first inspected and approved for human consumption.

We have to admit that in agriculture it is eventually about what makes economic sense. For this reason we’ve allocated almost R10 million to our agricultural economics Programme.

This year projection models will be finalised and used for the apple and table grape industries. Studies with regard to trade with China and IBSA are also envisaged.

One of our challenges, and that of farmers, has always been not to merely produce the product, but to bring the consumer in contact with it A recent highlight is a deal with Spar in Khayelitsha where farming groups from Delft, Philippi and Khayelitsha are already supplying this market. Currently these groups are coordinated into a single group to ensure continuity of supply. Also, we have set ourselves a target to assist 15 groups or projects in obtaining domestic market access through actual contracts.

During this financial year R150 000 will be spent to continue this process, investigate specific aspects of the viability of a Biofuels industry in the Western Cape, to create a basis for consultation and to seek Cabinet approval to embark on a call of intent.

The Department focuses on developing new opportunities for regional products through Geographical Indications. An amount of €250 000 was obtained from the European government to assist with these investigations.

On a relatively small budget our engineers succeeded to make a considerable impact on the availability of water over the past few years. This year they will do so again with R 36,97 million.

Die besproeiingssektor in die Wes-Kaap is verantwoordelik vir ongeveer 50% van totale huidige waterverbruik en derhalwe aanvaar ons die verantwoordelikheid om betrokke te wees by die vind van gebalanseerde oplossings. Een van ons doelwitte is om die waterverbruiksdoeltreffendheid van besproeiingsboere in die Wes-Kaap te verbeter.

Hierdie landbouwaterbesparingsprogram het reeds ‘n gemiddelde verbetering in die waterverbruiksdoeltreffendheid van tussen 12 en 15% tot gevolg gehad. Ons gaan voort met hierdie projek teen ‘n koste van R1,3 miljoen, ten einde die optimale benutting van ons skaars waterhulpbronne te verseker.

Die boere van Matjiesrivier, onder die Swartberge by Oudtshoorn, geniet reeds die voordele van ‘n pyplynprojek van R2,6 miljoen waardeur besproeiingswater aan hul lande voorsien word en verliese met die ou grondvore met tussen 25 en 30% verminder is. Die pyplyn lewer terselfdertyd ook nou skoon drinkwater aan meer as 200 mense, wat van tevore hul drinkwater uit die grondslote moes haal.

Drinkwater en water vir veesuiping word ook deur middel van ‘n pompskema aan die boere op Kobeeberg naby Vanrhynsdorp voorsien, wat voorheen hul water oor afstande van tot 50 kilometer moes aanry. Benewens die permanente bewoners op die 8 plase, kry ongeveer 150 seisoenswerkers ook drinkwater uit die R2 miljoen projek.

In ons Land-Care Subprogram het ons verlede jaar meer as 15 000 kinders bereik en sowat 60 projekte is geïmplementeer wat meer as 50 000 persoonsdae werk geskep het - dit is gelykstaande aan 200 voltydse werke. Hierdie jaar sal ons 50 projekte implementeer, 3000 jongmense blootstelling gee, 1000 boere herinner aan die belangrikheid van hul hulpbronne en 25 000 persoonsdae van werk skep.

To successfully address the multitude of challenges the agricultural sector has to face, people with a mindset conducive to change and transformation, and equipped with a relevant skills and knowledge base, is a necessity. Having a piece of land and simply wanting to farm are not enough to ensure success. It is only when people - in addition to access to farmable agricultural land and suitable equipment - are equipped with the right mindset and knowledge and entrepreneurial / technical skills base, that we can hope to secure agriculture’s role in job and wealth creation and transforming society as a whole.

Dit kan sonder twyfel gesê word dat ons van die beste landbou-opleidingsinstellings in die land het.

Die Landbou Sektorplan van die Wes-Kaap het ‘n duidelike rigting aangedui vir die ontwikkeling van ‘n omvattende Menslike Kapitaal Ontwikkelingstrategie wat tans op ‘n inklusiewe manier deur my Departement ontwikkel word. Die begroting van Program 7: Gestruktureerde landbou-opleiding, sal primêr aangewend word om hierdie strategie wat tans ontwikkel word, te implementeer. Van die R 29,5m wat aan Opleiding toegeken word, sal:

• ten minste R11,2m gebruik word vir Hoër Onderwys-opleiding vir sowat 400 studente
• ten minste R12,6m vir Voortgesette Onderwys en Opleiding vir meer as 2 500 opkomende boere en plaaswerkers.

One of the key focus areas for the Department is thus “Transforming Agriculture through Training”. The Department this year offers 66 bursaries to employees, 13 to external students in the scarce or critical skills career paths, 100 internships and 20 learnerships to empower our youth and encourage them to consider agriculture as a career.

The additional R 6m funding promised to my Department from the National Skills Fund (NSF) will enable us to provide learnership training to an additional 100 learners (National Farming Certificate / NQF 4), to award an additional 50 bursaries for PDI’s, and to give an additional 50 unemployed youth the opportunity to gain work experience and exposure to agriculture through internships. This funding will primarily benefit students from previously marginalized groups.

In order to ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of the agricultural sector in the Western Cape, the Department has allocated more than R50m to Technology, Research and Development - of which R10, 54m goes for animal research, R12, 58m for plant research and R3, 4m for resource utilisation. Our research and development effort is of pivotal importance in generating new and cutting-edge 21st century technology for commercial and emerging farmers and is the engine room of information for the extension mandate of Farmer Support and Development. Two hundred and four research projects are executed by a staff establishment of 330. In layman’s terms: these people help farmers to stay ahead; to still make money in changing and difficult times.

The Department is proud to have two dairy research centres of excellence, one for the Western Cape at Elsenburg and one for the Southern Cape at Outeniqua Research Farm. As 24% of the milk in South Africa originates from these areas, the Department is more than aware of its supporting role to these milk producing areas and its farmers and for this reason invested more than R3 million in a state-of-the-art milking parlour at Elsenburg during 2006. We recently won the trophy for the Jersey herd with the highest genetic merit in the country.

The Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) that we receive as a conditional grant, this year amounts to more than R33 million. The aim of this grant is to provide support to farmers by means of infrastructure and last year we successfully assisted 5 765 beneficiaries. The CASP support has brought very real growth to the projects and the beneficiaries are now in a better position to produce quality food for themselves and for the market. In order to align with the Batho Pele principle of accessibility the availability of the grant has been advertised in all the Province’s local newspapers. The closing date for applications is mid July 2007.

A total of 15 390 beneficiaries will be supported through CASP funding of which 9 000 will be women and youth. It is envisaged that 1 302 jobs will be created during the implementation of these projects and that 50 disabled people will benefit.

Sentraal Karoo, ons Presidensiële node en dikwels die Aspoestertjie van die Provinsie sal vanjaar baat vind by projekte ter waarde van R4,5 miljoen. Ons vier dan ook vanjaar Wêreld Voedseldag in Murraysburg aangesien dit een van die armste dorpe in die Provinsie is met ‘n werkloosheidsyfer van 82%.

In dieselfde asem gaan ons die hoeveelheid voedsel-sekuriteitsprojekte, en hiermee bedoel ek hoofsaaklik groentetuinprojekte, provinsiewyd met 20% uitbrei en meer as R4 miljoen is spesifiek vir die Metropool geoormerk. Terwyl landbou hoofsaaklik in die landelike gebiede gesentreer is, is hierdie een van die maniere waarop Departement Landbou sy bydrae lewer tot die werkloosheid- en dus hongerstryd wat ook in stedelike gebiede hoogty vier. Vir die 15 noodareas wat deur die Premier as prioriteit geïdentifiseer is, het ons projekte soos volg gefinansier: Khayelitsha (R440,000), Gugulethu (R80,000), Lavendar Hill (R90,000), Belhar (R70,000), en Phillipi (R140,000). Verder is opleiding ten bedrae van R137,000 ook gedoen, wat die totale spandering vir voedselsekuriteit in die stedelike gebied op R957,000 te staan bring.

Alie van Jaarsveld
Spokesperson
Ministry of Agriculture: Western Cape
Tel: 021 483 4930
Fax: 021 483 3890
Cell: 084 604 6701
Email: avjaarsv@pgwc.gov.za