LIMPOPO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

1. LIMPOPO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT TE Briefing to the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on 06 March 2018

2. Contents • Background • Progress in implementing Fetsa Tlala - 2017/18 • Food security indicators • Fetsa Tlala Planting plans for 2018/19 FY • Progress on Commercialisation of black farmers • Progress on the rehabilitation of agricultural land in the Province. • Fall army worm updates • Placement of Unemployed graduates • Challenges and mitigation measures

3. Background One million hectares of arable land under production by 2019 across the country. Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has adopted food production support through Fetsa Tlala programme. Focus is on stable food crops, such as maize, sorghum & beans Communal land under Traditional Authorities and land reform projects Funding source – Ilima-Letsema for production inputs and mechanisation

4. Cont …. • Reduction of households vulnerable to food insecurity by 9.5% by 2019/20, food security for all by 2030 – nationally. • Limpopo – highest number of households with adequate access to food – 91,8% against national average of 77,2% (StatsSA 2015 GHS report, released in June 2016). • Correlation with the number of households that are involved in agriculture • Contribution of Fetsa-Tlala programme to some extent. • Due to adequate rain on some parts of the Province in 2016/17 financial year, 12429.24 hectares were ploughed out of a target of 10 000.

5. Cont ... The province targeted at least 13 006 hectares to be under production for the financial year 2017/18. LDARD provide mechanization support services to the farmers through government tractors and private tractors services. Private tractor services to augment government tractors, as and when the need arises Maize seeds that has been procured is mainly drought resistant. Fetsa-Tlala Standard Operating Procedure was reviewed – to close some implementation gaps

6. Progress in the implementation of Fetsa Tlala Targets for 2017/18 planting season. Target is 13 006Ha Actual as at the end of Feb 2018 is approximated as 10745 hectares. Validation of Ha is still in progress and will be concluded before the end of April 2018 Breakdown of Ha are provided in the next two slides

7. Progress in the implementation of Fetsa Tlala Targets for 2017/18 planting season. • The table below indicates the figures as at the end of Feb 2018 per district and only covers ha where mechanization support was provided. • Lesser number of Ha is attributed to rain which came late during active rain fed summer cropping season.

8. Progress in the implementation of Fetsa Tlala Targets for 2017/18 planting season. • The following Ha are where the department only provide production inputs and farmers themselves covered planting costs • 2002 Ha for vegetable production • 5500 Ha for grain production and • 1235 Ha for fruit production • 8737 Ha were then supported with inputs • Validation of Ha are still in progress and will be concluded before the end of April 2018 .

9. Food security indicators As at the 3rd quarter

10. Number of hectares cultivated for food production in communal areas and land reform The highlighted in red colour indicates the Provincial figures Evidence to be presented to the committee

11. Number of smallholder producers supported

12. Number of Households Supported with Agricultural Food Production Initiatives

13. Fetsa Tlala Planting plans for 2018/19 FY

14. Planting plans for 2018/19 FY 13 654 Ha are target for 2018/19 financial year Hectares will include vegetable, grain and fruits. Breakdown per district is in the table below.

15. Planting plans for 2018/19 FY • The tables below provides Ha that will be covered by government tractors and private tractors • Table 1 : Government Tractors • Table 2: Privately owned tractors

16. Planting plans for 2018/19 FY

17. Distribution plan for seeds and seedlings Production inputs are procured at the district level. Local agricultural offices i.e. municipalities are supplied for them to distribute to the services centres. Services centres will distribute through local traditional offices where applicable or through local farmers structures to the list of eligible farmers. This is done prior to the planting season.

18. Feedback on the impact of drought resistance seeds in the province. • Grain producing dry land area in the province were faced with the a challenges of continuous dry spell and late start of rain for 2017/18 summer crop planting season. • 15.8 tons of WEMA 3128 maize seed cultivar was purchased an distributed to the farmers.

19. Black commercial producers update • Department has identified 50 farm entities owned by 79 farmers. • Most of the farming entities are family units with more than 1 family members or beneficiaries. • To date the Department has conducted farm assessments covering 30 farm entities. • At present ten farm enterprises are been supported in area such as record keeping to ensure certification with SAGAP, farm management improvement and expansion of primary production through infrastructure development. • R14 million will be set aside in 2018/19 to compliment R10 million already linked to entities where development is progressing. The R14 million will be allocated to entities once a proper Business Development Plan is completed.

20. Continue • Improved record management systems. • The lack of proper recording system reduces the ability of the farmers to get credits, and some packing facilities are unable to get certification by accredited institution like PPECB. • Procurement of enabling production resources. • The lack of tractors, implements and harvesters limit many of the farmer’s capacity to produce in time and also harvest in time. • Transport to different markets destinations is also a challenging factors. • Improved and expansion primary production infrastructure. • Production inputs • Support procurement of high value production inputs, which include seeds, fertilizers and chemicals.

21. Continue The challenges faced by smallholder farmers is South Africa are well documented by many authors, commentators and scholars. Many of those are highlighted as the lack of proper resources to produce at the maximum level, credit record, land tenure rights and high production costs. Black Producers Commercialization Programme (BPCP) guideline is regarded as a blueprint to advance farmers with an opportunities to get support that will enable them to create sustainable income and improved production.

22. Progress on recruitment of Veterinarians and Extension Officers • The number of Veterinarians is 34. 5 at management level. • All vacancies for field VETS on the establishment are now been field, only 3 management posts are still to be field. • Four Veterinarians sponsored by LDARD qualified from the University of Nairobi in Kenya. They are now authorised by the SA Veterinary Council and are working as State Veterinarians under Supervision. They are still to pass the SA Vet Council Exam before full registration. • Two Veterinarians who qualified from the University of Pretoria are now working in the Department. They are fully registered under the SA Vet Council

23. Management of animal diseases Disease control is mainly by movement control, surveillance, vaccination, dipping and treatment. Movement control presents the most challenge as fences are damaged, starting with the northern border fence. Kruger Park fencing and fences to separate livestock in the FMD control area from those in the FMD-free area also need to be upgraded. This will involve major infrastructure development with resultant job opportunities and economic spin-off from improved animal marketing opportunities. Vaccination for controlled animal diseases is provided by government for free to communal farmers At the end of quarter 3 the department managed to conduct FMD vaccination sessions on 266 of the annual target of 148 and number of dipping session on communal cattle totalled 4632 with the annual target of 4450. Number of handling facilities completed to date totalled to 21 with the annual target of 27. Number of inspections on abattoirs and processing facilities visited for compliance are 438 with an annual target of 512.

24. Progress on the rehabilitation of agricultural land in the Province. • As part of the global call for land degradation neutrality and Outcome 10, the LDARD has up to the third quarter of 2017/2018 rehabilitated 10 000 ha from the 14 000 ha. This is undertaken through the LandCare Programme with specific interventions such as soil conservation, climate smart agriculture. • Number of hectares cleared of alien invasive plants and weeds are 1461.9 Ha with the annual target of 2200Ha.

25. Update on Fall army worm (FAW) Incidences of FAW were reported during maize growing season in the Province. All Districts have reported incidences of FAW A total of 9848 Ha was affected through 1272 reported incidences. LDARD consulted and agreed with National transferring officer of CASP to reprioritise funds for procurement of insecticides to support farmers. About R9M has been reprioritised for procurement of pesticides for all detected exotic pests in the province of which R2.8M was prioritised for FAW. Currently 22 500 litres of insecticides (12500 litres of Chloropyrifos and 10000 litres of mercaptothion) have been procured for FAW and are distributed to farmers to respond to report of infestation.

26. Placement of Unemployed graduates The Department will place 120 unemployed graduates in the field of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from May 2018. Farm assessment were done checking the potential of farming entities to place the graduates. At least 25 farming entities will host the graduates

27. Challenges and mitigation Unpredictable rain fall. Government fleet tractors is aging Procurement processes to repair government tractors. Increasing demand on mechanisation support service

28. Mitigation Continuous advisory services to farmers based on South African weather service (SAWS) reports Continue training farmers and field officers on climate change in collaboration with SAWS Engagement with Landini to shorten turn around time on tractors repairs and speedy response to maintenance Provision of mechanisation support services within government available resources and encourage more contribution on part of the farmers.

29. THANK YOU