Masibuyele Emasimini continues to fail emerging farmers

Masibuyele Emasimini continues to fail emerging farmers 

As the department of agriculture launches the Masibuyele Emasimini programme’s ploughing season, the DA cautions against setting emerging farmers up for failure.

It was revealed in the 2013/14 annual report that the department of agriculture did not spend R85 million of its annual budget yet only managed to achieve 68 (41%) out of its 166 set targets.

For its programme on farmer support and development, under which Masibuyele Emasimini falls, the department used 90% of its budget to achieve only 42% of its goals. It then cited financial constraints and a lack of resources as the reason for its underperformance yet R45 million of its budgets remain unspent.

This then begs the question of what the money being spent on because it is certainly not being spent on supporting emerging farmers. To this day, farmers in Thembisile Hani municipality are still waiting for the programme to assist them to obtain nutritional feed for their cattle after enduring a dry winter. Some emerging farmers have also reportedly had only one training session on how to effectively manage their farms.

If agriculture MEC, Andries Gamede is indeed serious about leading the department to meet its strategic goal of supporting the development of sustainable agricultural reform, then the implementation of the Masibuyele Emasimini programme must be re-examined otherwise emerging farmers will fail.

The DA maintains that the following steps taken to ensure that emerging farmers have the best chance of succeeding:

-      Proper research done to ensure that the correct commodity farmed within a suitable area.

-      A proper business plan and skills audit done in co-operation with the emerging farmer, the department and organised agriculture unions to ensure proper systems are in place to support the emerging farmer.

-      A mentorship program should be in place, to provide the emerging farmer with the much needed knowledge and experience in order to optimise farming.

-      The department should commit to putting checks and balances in place to provide the emerging farmer with enough resources to succeed, yet inspire responsible management of the resources.

Sound agricultural practices are vital to the success of our province because it will not only ensure food security but it will also lead to the creation of job. The DA calls on MEC Gamede to ensure that the Masibuele Emasimini programme focuses on its mandate of equipping emerging farmers with the necessary skills to succeed.