WEEKEND-VIEWPOINT- Agriculture Master Plan Must Deliver Results

South Africa’s Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan is once again under the spotlight, with Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp saying government needs to move faster if the plan is to deliver real results for farmers and the agricultural sector.

Aucamp says progress has been made, but not enough momentum. The National Agricultural Marketing Council is coordinating the implementation, while government is working with organised agriculture, Business Unity South Africa and Agbiz to address problems around infrastructure, farmer support, market access and slow regulations.

The minister says the master plan should remain a living document that can change when necessary. Its main aim, he says, is to expand inclusive agriculture and create more opportunities for farmers.

One of the major issues is agricultural extension services. Government wants to eventually have about 10 000 properly trained extension officers across the country. Funding is initially being sought for 4 000 officers. Aucamp also wants the private sector to play a bigger role rather than agriculture relying only on government programmes.

Land ownership and security of tenure are also being considered. A pilot project is being discussed with the African Farmers Association involving 100 farmers per province renting state-owned land, with the longer-term goal of transferring ownership. The thinking is that farmers who have secure tenure will be more willing to invest, borrow money and develop their farms if they know their children can eventually inherit the land.

Regulatory delays are another problem. Aucamp wants to address the backlogs under Act 36, which covers fertilisers, animal feeds and agricultural remedies. Government is also looking at using artificial intelligence to digitise applications and speed up straightforward approvals.

Market access remains critical. South Africa has opened new opportunities for agricultural exports, including cherries to China, with further progress expected for blueberries. Meat exports to Egypt and citrus exports to India are also part of the country's efforts to expand international markets.

For Aucamp, the issue comes back to one important point: farmers must be able to make a profit. He says agriculture must be treated as a major driver of economic growth and employment, and that profitable farming is essential for food security.

Government's blended-finance programmes have also been highlighted. According to Aucamp, about R98 billion has been approved since the programme began, consisting of approximately R35 billion in grants that attracted R63 billion in private investment and supported hundreds of black farmers.

But the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan has not been without controversy.

Several farmer organisations, including Saai and TLU SA, have criticised the process and have argued that some farmers and agricultural organisations were not properly included. They have questioned whether the plan gives enough attention to the profitability and sustainability of primary farming.

The exclusion of the wildlife-ranching sector has also been raised as a concern. Some organisations say they submitted formal objections to the plan but that these concerns were not adequately addressed.

This is why Aucamp's statement that the master plan should be a living document is important. If the plan is going to change and develop, there will need to be continued engagement with farmers and organisations that have raised concerns.

Foot-and-mouth disease has also shown how important practical implementation is.

Aucamp says government has learned that the private sector needs to be more involved in fighting FMD. The target is to vaccinate 80% of the national herd by December. More than 23 million vaccine doses had been imported by early September, and farmers have been given greater access to vaccines through veterinary practices.

The Agricultural Research Council has also approved a proposal allowing qualifying private companies to use its intellectual property to manufacture FMD vaccines on a larger scale.

Other major challenges remain, including drought, infrastructure, farm safety, market access and competition from subsidised imports.

The debate around the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan is therefore much bigger than government policy documents and meetings.

The real test will be what happens on farms.

Farmers need reliable infrastructure, faster regulations, access to markets, finance, security, effective disease control and, most importantly, profitable businesses.

A master plan can provide a framework, but agriculture is built on the ground by farmers.

The question now is whether the plan can move from promises and discussions to measurable results that farmers can actually see and feel in their businesses.