In June 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa in his state of the nation address, announced bold plans by the government to create conditions for industries to expand.
Three years later, Mzansi Agriculture Talk tracked progress on all agri master plans;
Sugar Master Plan:
Earlier in January, close to 13 000 sugar emerging growers and co-ops shared R60 million through the Small-Scale Grower (SSG) Premium Payment. Collectively, the small growers delivered 2,7 tons of cane.
According to SA Farmers Development Association (SAFDA) Executive Chairman, Dr Siyabonga Madlala, the payments were in line with the Small-scale Grower Master Plan Task Team and that of the Sugarcane Based Value Chain Master Plan.
“Farmers in the sugar industry are paid using Recoverable Value (RV) which recognizes investments made in the production process to achieve sugarcane of good quality” he said.
Government and the sugar industry had set aside R1 billion Transformation to be disbursed over a period of five years.
Shoprite involvement, with over a thousand of its stores selling locally produced sugar, propelled the industry to meet its targets.
Poultry Master Plan:
The poultry industry’s reign of opposing imports and dumping transmitted confusing signals, drowning some of its important achievements.
Izaak Breitenbach, head of the SA Poultry Association’s broiler board has been vociferous about dumping viewing the Poultry Master Plan as a ‘lynchpin’ and a ‘trade measure’ to “defend the local poultry industry from predatory trade practices.”
To date, the industry has invested R1.14 billion to create markets for black farmers especially under contract farming and have collectively built 79 poultry houses to the value of R355 million.
“SAPA’s first black hatchery owner has expanded from hatching 7 000 birds per week to now doing 28 000 birds per week, and by the end of the year they will achieve 50 000 chicks per week to supply the independent market” Breitenbach added.
Agriculture and Agro-Processing Master Plan:
The Agriculture and Agro Processing Master Plan (AAMP) is touted to be the blueprint of the agricultural sector. The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza was commended for pulling together the government and organised agriculture to the table.
From a simple reading, the AAMP in all its pillars, focuses on infrastructure development and revitalisation.
Agri SA was first to praise the plan and was pleased with the Masterplan’s commitment to raise R9,4 billion “to address infrastrutcture constraints.”
