Land Reform: A Package Deal?
FarmBiz|January 2020
The consequences of land dispossession due to colonialism and apartheid remains part of South Africa’s socio-political landscape, despite government’s efforts to address it through land reform and redistribution.
Carin Venter
Land Reform: A Package Deal?

Although urban land is part of the dilemma, the main focus is on reforming agricultural land. While South Africans fear a repetition of Zimbabwe’s failed populist land reform, the reality is that the land reform process in South Africa is seriously lagging, following many failed land reform programs since 1994.

Excessive bureaucracy, especially partisan politics and systemic political corruption, further slows down the process. The struggling South African economy, with its unemployment rate of 29% and growing fears of food insecurity, also plays a role. The South African Institute of Race Relations has a valid point, saying that land reform could potentially ‘kick the legs out from under agriculture’ if great care is not taken.

An outlook of land reform

Land reform in South Africa consists of three elements, namely:

Restitution of land rights: The restoration of land rights lost through the direct enforcement of apartheid laws.

Land redistribution: Ownership of land according to the transformation principle of representativity.

Land tenure: Policies that seek to strengthen the property rights of those who already occupy communal and commercial land under various relatively insecure forms of tenure.

During the 2018/19 financial year government intended to settle 1 151 land claims at a cost of R2 billion while prioritizing post-settlement support on restituted farms to the value of R700 million. To date, the government has settled 80 664 claims benefiting 2,1 million beneficiaries at the cost of R40 billion, including financial compensation to beneficiaries. Of these claims, 160 463 originated from female-headed households. Furthermore, the government has restored 3,5 million hectares of land that can aid agricultural and economic development.

Radical economic transformation

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 2020 من FarmBiz.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 2020 من FarmBiz.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من FARMBIZ مشاهدة الكل
Hauling In A Full Net: Reaping The Benefits Of Processed Fish
FarmBiz

Hauling In A Full Net: Reaping The Benefits Of Processed Fish

As local and global governments deal with the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, producers are now more than ever searching for new options for expanding their businesses. That said, farming and value addition to produce does not have to be limited to landlocked food sources.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2020
Grow Produce Year-round With Tunnels And Greenhouses
FarmBiz

Grow Produce Year-round With Tunnels And Greenhouses

Climate change is an inescapable reality and can wreak havoc in open-field production systems that rely on the right weather patterns to produce good yields. For this reason, many producers worldwide have turned to growing crops in tunnels or greenhouses. These production systems offer protection from changing weather patterns, allowing them to grow crops throughout the year.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2020
Saving Soil: Harnessing The Microbiome
FarmBiz

Saving Soil: Harnessing The Microbiome

We live in unprecedented times.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2020
Summer Grain Production: A Producer's Perspective
FarmBiz

Summer Grain Production: A Producer's Perspective

The 2020 planting season for producers in the summer rainfall areas is here and most of them are looking forward to the first summer rains so that they can plant their crops. FarmBiz spoke to Jaco Minnaar from the farm Uitsny near Henneman about the new season. Jaco is vice-chairperson of Agri SA and currently serves on the Senwes board.

time-read
6 mins  |
September 2020
Electronic Auctions: The New Normal?
FarmBiz

Electronic Auctions: The New Normal?

The South African livestock industry has suffered a tremendous setback with challenges posed to physical auctions. However, the industry is nothing if not resilient. The first ban on livestock auctions was imposed during the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in 2019.

time-read
5 mins  |
September 2020
Oxygen Types That Damage Crops In Extreme Weather Conditions
FarmBiz

Oxygen Types That Damage Crops In Extreme Weather Conditions

Oxygen is best known as a life-giving gas without which life as we know it, would not be possible.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2020
Asia's Maize Imports Likely To Grow
FarmBiz

Asia's Maize Imports Likely To Grow

In 2019, the Asian maize market was finally on the rise to reach US$204,4 billion after two years of decline. The total consumption indicated buoyant growth from 2009 to 2019. Its value increased at an average annual rate of 5,1% over the last decade.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2020
Cultivated grazing: Fertiliser is the key to success
FarmBiz

Cultivated grazing: Fertiliser is the key to success

Nowadays everything in agriculture has to be done on a larger scale. Cultivated grazing has also become a science, with producers forced to think bigger to get more out of their grazing – all at the most economical cost.

time-read
5 mins  |
September 2020
Industry Giants Comment On Special Adjustment Budget
FarmBiz

Industry Giants Comment On Special Adjustment Budget

Prof Johan Willemse, an independent agricultural economist, says the supplementary budget delivered by the minister of finance on 24 June was a real shocker. According to him, the government is spending an additional R145 billion on the COVID-19 issue. The real issue, however, is a record budget shortfall due to the economic meltdown, with wrong policy choices and corruption on the cards.

time-read
5 mins  |
August 2020
Rethinking The Conversion Process Of Poultry Litter To Biogas
FarmBiz

Rethinking The Conversion Process Of Poultry Litter To Biogas

The poultry industry is generally comprised of broiler chicken production, egg production, day-old chick suppliers and other poultry. While micro-enterprise businesses are gaining prominence as a means to address the challenges of job creation, economic growth and equity, the industry has future challenges concerning poultry litter management.

time-read
5 mins  |
August 2020