The Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs
Ensuring Sustainable Livelihoods
The main aims of the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs are to create a globally competitive agricultural sector and a sustainable environment in the Province. In pursuing its vision the Department has made great strides in interventions aimed at attaining increased economic growth and development in the Province.
Our Province is rich with potential in the agricultural sector. The diverse bio-climatic regions and the topography of our province allows for virtually any crop to be grown somewhere, which makes the province of KwaZulu-Natal "a world in one". Apart from the bioclimatic regions, the Province also enjoys the advantages of having relatively high rainfall, moderate to subtropical temperatures, access to markets, export facilities and a growing economy. We believe that this is the sector that can drive economic growth and create massive employment opportunities.
More than 35 per cent of the population of KwaZulu-Natal is vulnerable to food insecurity. Limited agricultural diversification, low agricultural production in some areas where many people live, high unemployment, poverty, constraints to food distribution, lack of information skills and awareness and poor nutrition and health status all contribute to this problem. Our mandate is to unlock the market potential of agricultural commodities, create sustainable SMMEs and co-operatives, whilst ensuring that there is job creation and, not least, food security in our communities.
Agrarian Revolution Strategy
A priority will be to re-focus the Agrarian Revolution Strategy in line with the sustainable socio-economic development initiatives and provincial priorities.
An integrated programme involving departments in all spheres of government, will:
-
Focus on subsistence farmers in urban and rural settings;
-
Create programmes for commercial agricultural operations involving larger areas of communal land;
-
Attend to State land on lease, farms acquired through land restitution and emerging farmers from disadvantaged communities, and
-
Focus on the creation of partnerships with successful commercial farmers.
Subsistence farmers will be supported by the provision of capacity building, extension services and advice, supply seeds and fertilizers, and assistance in fencing.
The Department also intends supporting commercial farmers with vital market intelligent information and linking them with agribusiness and investment opportunities. In this manner, the Department will address the needs of all stakeholders. Furthermore, the Department has placed very high on its agenda, and in line with the Apex Priorities, the need to strengthen the co-operatives development programme.
Co-operatives will be assisted through credit schemes to grow their operations using financial development institutions (FDI's) such as Ithala, to ensure sustainability. On the base of the revived co-operative movement, the government will re-launch the mechanisation programme to supply tractors and other agricultural implements. The Department will also focus on youth and women, as well as other vulnerable groups, in all of its programmes.
