South Africa’s new agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen, is taking a close look at one of the country’s agricultural master plans. He should be focusing on two.
Both master plans – the Agriculture and Agro-Processing Master Plan, and the Poultry Sector Master Plan – have been criticised for failing to meet growth targets because of slow or inadequate implementation.
In his department’s budget vote speech after the opening of the new parliament, Steenhuisen praised the Agriculture and Agro-Processing plan as “the framework on which the inclusive growth of the agricultural sector is premised”.
He noted that it had broad sectoral support and, without mentioning any failings, promised to focus on “accelerating the implementation of the objectives of the AAMP and ensuring that my department upholds its commitments contained in the plan”.
In other words, he’s going to speed things up.
He needs to bring the same implementation urgency to the poultry master plan, which has had some successes but where important targets are not being met, mainly because of government inaction or a lack of government funding.
Minister Steenhuisen is in favour of accelerating agricultural exports. The poultry master plan’s ambitious export targets have not been met – exports have not increased since the plan was signed in 2019. One of the reasons is the acute shortage of state veterinarian staff needed to provide health certificates required by importing countries.
The good news is that help may be at hand. Steenhuisen said that increasing agricultural exports meant not only expanding existing markets such as the United States and the European Union, but opening new markets in Africa, India, the Middle East, Egypt and China.
“Again, access to these markets will only grow if we are to ensure proper biosecurity and phytosanitary assurance to them.” This indicates that Steenhuisen is aware of the veterinary problem. The question will be what he does about it, and specifically in relation to poultry exports.
In addition, trade agreements need to be negotiated, or re-negotiated because some agreements are hindering chicken exports rather than promoting them. That requires the involvement of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, and possibly also the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Steenhuisen has said he will be “knocking on doors” of other cabinet ministers when their help is needed on agricultural issues. The poultry industry is full of such issues, all of them critical to the success of the master plan. In addition to veterinary and export assistance, there are problems with electricity, water supply and road and rail links.
And with the overall implementation of the poultry master plan, which is co-driven by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition.
Knock, knock.
