South African agriculture minister Willie Aucamp is involving the private sector as he tries to make the country’s agriculture and agro-processing master plan more effective.
Aucamp told Business Day that he wants to translate the plan’s policy framework into measurable outcomes.
He said his department is working with organised agriculture and the private sector to address bottlenecks, including in infrastructure, farmer support, market access and regulatory delays.
Aucamp intends to create an environment that encourages private sector investment rather than relying solely on government initiatives, Business Day reported.
It said an immediate priority was to bring government, farmers, organised agriculture and the private sector together to tackle agriculture’s multiple constraints.
“We are tackling all of them together,” Aucamp said.
The National Agricultural Marketing Council has been tasked with co-ordinating the implementation of the master plan.
The agriculture department is working with organisations including Business Unity South Africa and the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa.
Initiatives underway include a pilot project together with the African Farmers Association to transfer title to 100 farmers per province who are currently renting state-owned agricultural land. This would give them greater certainty and improve their ability to access commercial loans, Aucamp said.
