New Agriculture Agro-processing Masterplan to transform the sector

• Published date: 13 May 2022
• Publication title: South African Official News

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza has told a mini-plenary of the National Assembly that the department has signed a landmark Agriculture Agro-processing Masterplan with social partners.

Tabling the department's budget vote on Thursday, Didiza said the signing of the masterplan will allow government to reimagine a sector that South Africa wants - one that is both globally competitive and inclusive.

'Today also marks a historic moment in South Africa's agricultural sector.

'Earlier today, we signed the Agriculture Agro-processing Masterplan together with social partners. This plan is a product of negotiations between government, business, labour and civil society organisations in the agriculture and agro-processing sectors,' she said.

The signing of the masterplan comes after the department kick-started the process in June 2020, built on the work done since 2001 when they first developed the Strategic Plan for South Africa's Agricultural Sector, the Sector Plan, Operation Phakisa and the National Development Plan.

All of these processes remain important milestones that are aimed at transforming the sector, giving a vision to which we must focus.

'This Masterplan is lifting our gaze to imagine the agricultural sector we want in South Africa. We want a prosperous and inclusive agricultural sector that thrives on better utilisation of its natural and human resources,' she said.

Didiza said the masterplan development process was an affirmation of the importance of social compacting, as pronounced by President Cyril Ramaphosa during his State of the Nation address.

'It requires commitment, patience and determination from all those...