It is shocking how many decisions in parliament are based on myths within the agricultural sector instead of facts.
The agricultural sector must fight stereotyping so that decisions can be made based on facts, not on ideological propaganda.
The uncertainty within agriculture and perceptions about landownership must be eradicated. Propaganda says that land makes you rich, but land alone is not enough. You need knowledge and experience in farming too.
Linking farm murders to mistreated workers
It is not true that all farmers are rich and that they mistreat their workers. There might be a few rotten apples, but in my experience the opposite is true in that most farmers and their workers have excellent relationships.
They have better relationships with their workers than people in the city because they work closely with their employees every day.
To imply that relations between farmers and their workers are bad and that it might lead to murder is not correct, creates the wrong climate and condones killing your boss if you are unhappy with your working environment.
People then read stories in the media and say that the farmer deserved to be killed for abusing the employees. Statistics show that these statements are incorrect. Research done in 2003 shows that only 1,6% of attacks on farmers are linked to labour issues.
Ideology
There is tension within agriculture because political decisions clash with food security. What is important for agriculture is not necessarily what is important to the ANC.
There is a conflict between ideology and reality and the ANC doesn’t always realise which one is which. There are agricultural limits in South Africa as most of the cultivatable land is already in use.
The amount of available land is decreasing and land under cultivation has declined by 30%, mainly due to land reform policies and the difficult environment in which farmers have to operate. The government is spending a lot of money to restore people to their peasant ways through land reform.
Ensuring a future
Food security is important to the rest of the world, but it doesn’t seem to be important to South Africa. The country desperately needs to grasp the importance of food security.
Subsistence farmers are important for political stability, but they can’t feed the nation. This is why commercial farmers must be looked after.
One commercial farmer in South Africa feeds 1 100 people, which is why all commercial farmers, both black and white, must be treasured and not suppressed.
Tanzania wants our farmers because it knows that once commercial agriculture is destroyed, it can never recover.
Ideology
There is tension within agriculture because political decisions clash with food security. What is important for agriculture is not necessarily what is important to the ANC. There is a conflict between ideology and reality and the ANC doesn’t always realise which one is which.
There are agricultural limits in South Africa as most of the cultivatable land is already in use. The amount of available land is decreasing and land under cultivation has declined by 30%, mainly due to land reform policies and the difficult environment in which farmers have to operate.
The government is spending a lot of money to restore people to their peasant ways through land reform. This money would be better spent in supporting strong black commercial farmers. It is a positive sign that the minister of land reform, Gugile Nkwinti, has at least admitted that nine out of 10 land reform projects have failed.
Agriculture’s contribution to the economy is underestimated because it only makes up 3% of the GDP. One can argue that through the value chain, an additional 20% can be added, but the government doesn’t see it that way. It is the responsibility of organised agriculture to make sure that this message gets through.
Ensuring a future
Food security is important to the rest of the world, but it doesn’t seem to be important to South Africa. The country desperately needs to grasp the importance of food security. Subsistence farmers are important for political stability, but they can’t feed the nation. This is why commercial farmers must be looked after.
One commercial farmer in South Africa feeds 1 100 people, which is why all commercial farmers, both black and white, must be treasured and not suppressed. Tanzania wants our farmers because it knows that once commercial agriculture is destroyed, it can never recover.
Anybody who wants to speak about food security, but not commercial farmers, has not done their maths and doesn’t know what they are talking about. South Africa is food secure because our commercial farmers are doing very well.
Organised agriculture has a role to play in putting these debates forward.
Farmers can live from one bowl of maize a day, but they must be able to eat with hope and that hope is disappearing. Organised agriculture must ignite that hope so that farmers can go forward.
Contact Dr Pieter Mulder on 012 312 7373 or email [email protected].
