From strength to strength: South Africa’s new minister of Agriculture commits to building on the success of his predecessor
South Africa's newly appointed Minister of Agriculture has shone light on the importance of the agriculture sector for South Africa’s national economy. Agriculture has continued to show strong growth despite COVID-19 and other geopolitical challenges that have caused commodity and input prices to rise; contributing 7% to the national economy and 6% to employment. In this light, a decision was made after the elections to separate the Department of Agriculture from Land Reform and Rural Development. The Minister says that this will allow the department to focus fully on agriculture. However, he is still committed to working collaboratively with other ministries to create a suitable environment for the sector to thrive.
In his recent budget speech, the new Minsiter of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, committed to building on the success of his predecessor, Thoko Didiza, who has now been appointed Speaker of Parliament. Steenhuisen was previously leader of the opposition in parliament, but has now become a minister since his party agreed to co-govern in the Government of National Unity (GNU). His goal is to create a policy environment and physical conditions that will allow the sector to flourish. This includes working closely with the Department of Transport to improve national logistics and create more market access opportunities, for example.
Former Minister Didiza has already made significant strides during her tenure in office. In 2022, she introduced the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP). This is a key policy document that was drafted through sector-wide collaboration, involving various stakeholders. This process was lauded for its widespread involvement and for accurately representing the needs of the agriculture sector. Further, it demonstrated the government’s willingness to work closely with the sector, in a collaborative way.
In light of this succesful policy-making process, various stakeholders have called on the Minister of Agriculture to build capacity to implement AAMP, and not focus on amending policies. Since being appointment Minister, Steenhuisen has assured the sector he has heard their calls. The Minister committed to the AAMP in his recent speech, where he outlined his goals for the coming five years. He also assured the sector that any changes in policy will be limited to outdated legislation and will not include the AAMP. Instead, the Department will focus on providing the necessary capacity for effective implementation. The AAMP will be applied through a ‘sector plan designed to promote sustainable growth and inclusivity, particularly for rural communities’ of which, there are seven pillars:
- Developing robust value chains
- Promoting sustainable agriculture
- Prioritising innovation, research and development
- Improve infrastructure and logistics
- Create conducive policy and regulatory environment
- Access to finance through PPP
- Human capital development
The Minister also acknowledged the success of his predecessor for building strong relationships with the private sector, and has indicated his intention to continue to do the same. On one hand, though providing enabling policies and market access for well-developed commercial farmers, but on the other to provide the financial capital for smaller, black emerging farmers to scale their operations, and creating ideal market access conditions for these farmers. This includes training on certification like Global Gap, but also deploying more extension officers.
Furthermore, acknowledging the importance of biosecurity and phytosanitary interventions, the Minister pledged his commitment to focus on adopting a track and trace system that will not only assist in managing disease, but also contribute to limiting animal theft. He has also pledged to support efforts on surveillance, monitoring and intervention for exotic fruit flies, citrus black spot, and Banana Bunchy Top virus amongst other diseases.
The Minister’s commitment to the existing AAMP and his willingness to listen to the sector has created strong sense of trust and the local sentiment is optimistic. The minister intends to create a positive regulatory environment, but is also commited to working across sectors to create the physical conditions necessary for the sector to continue its impressive growth. This signals strong confidence in the South African agri-sector.
See the full speech here: Budget Vote 29 - Agriculture - Minister J Steenhuisen