Shifting quicksands of land drama

By now it must be obvious to even the most casual of observers of SA’s land drama that every effort at reforming land ownership has failed, the degree to which is matched only by the level of dismay expressed across the nation’s classes and races. Specifically, it has failed to reform and redress land ownership and it has failed to establish an agrarian economy.

It may be that, among the African National Congress (ANC) government’s many failures, the party’s undoing will stem from its continued failure to make good on its promises of equality in land rights.

When you consider that the denial of equality of land ownership to most South Africans is being continued as a matter of policy by the party, which continues to pronounce, as the Freedom Charter reads, that "the land shall be shared among those who work it", a nationwide land grab seems either inevitable or desirable.  More

Source: www.bdlive.co.za

Why is SA unable to unlock potential maize production capacity of Eastern Cape?

BY WANDILE SIHLOBO
AT THIS time of the year many agricultural industry representatives travel across the country, doing farm visits and conducting regional meetings. About two weeks ago, I visited the small town of Matatiele, in the Eastern Cape, where I was to engage with emerging grain producers.

As I drove past the outskirts of Mthatha, I could not help but notice the fertile, green maize fields across the former Transkei. More so, I could see the joy in some farmers’ eyes when I highlighted the possible maize price outlook. It is clear that many of them are going to have fairly good yields this year, in contrast to those in the central and western parts of SA, which are experiencing severe droughts.

It is evident that the Eastern Cape experienced better climatic conditions this season than many areas in the traditional central and western maize belt of the country. Yet, this will not result in meaningful gains for national food security. The Eastern Cape, compared to other maize-producing provinces, produces a small quantity of commercial maize. In 2014, its total commercial maize contribution was a mere 0.78%, which is 111,000 tons out of 14.3-million tons produced that year, according to the National Crop Estimate (NCE) figures.

Nonetheless, many studies such as that of Benedict Mandlenkosi Gilimani, a former agricultural economics graduate researcher at Stellenbosch University, show that maize contributed significantly to household food security in the Eastern Cape. More

Source: www.bdlive.co.za

Land redistribution ‘needs new laws’

Durban - The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is conducting public hearings on land restitution to establish better ways of fast-tracking the process, which the government has admitted is expensive and difficult to handle.

During a round table discussion held at the party’s provincial office in Durban on Tuesday, provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Cyril Xaba said R7 billion had been invested in the process of land restitution in the province, which had settled only 14 000ha.

He told representatives from land rights organisations, traditional leaders and academics the government was disappointed that nationally it had managed to settle only 8% of claims by the end of its deadline last year, instead of its 30% target. More

Source: www.iol.co.za

DTI strengthens trade with Russia

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is leading a delegation of 25 South African businesspeople to participate in the sixth Investment and Trade Initiative (ITI) to Moscow and Novosibirsk, Russia, from March 23 to 27.

The initiative would comprise investment seminars, business-to-business meetings and site visits to expose the delegation to “the way the Russians do business”.

“[This initiative aims] to strengthen trade relations between South Africa and that country, especially since the two countries are members of Brics [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.]

Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Mzwandile Masina said, “This trade mission is an opportunity to advance South Africa’s export and investment agenda in the sectors of agriculture and agroprocessing, [as well as] food-related products.”

He further noted that the trade mission would provide a platform to promote South African products to potential new customers, while obtaining new business and penetrating new markets.

South Africa’s participation would also have a positive impact in terms of increasing export sales to and joint ventures with Russia.

“The purpose of the ITI is to advance South Africa’s export and investment agenda in Russia and to strengthen commercial and economic relations between the two countries,” Masina stated.

He explained that the immediate opportunities for South African suppliers to Russia would increasing the export of fresh produce, adding that, with an already established export base of over $250m a year for fresh fruits, especially citrus, South Africa could easily expand to fresh vegetables through the existing export networks.

Source: Cape Business News

Rwanda's economy grows in 2014 as agriculture expands

Rwanda's economy grew by 7 per cent in 2014 from 4.6 per cent in the previous year, thanks to robust expansion in farming, services and industrial sectors, Finance Minister Claver Gatete said on Tuesday.

The east African nation's 2013 growth suffered from cuts in budgetary support by donors, after United Nations monitors accused it of backing rebels in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. More

Source: CNBC Africa

Analysis: Land politicised, land divided

Speaking to traditional leaders last week, President Jacob Zuma went off script. His comments were charismatic, even encouraging, but ultimately show how the issue of land is detached from meaningful reform, meaning one of the country's most important issues will continue to be exploited for political gain. By GREG NICOLSON.

“In fact it is beyond comprehension how a land as majestically stirring, as abundantly endowed with human and natural resources, as fertile in producing both food and feelings of intense joy and longing, can create nothing more than this shabby and repetitious growling of constitutional misreading, statistical embellishment, land-grabbing hysteria and food security myths, mostly led by intimidating, small-eyed, thick-necked, greedy men,” writes Antjie Krog in a new collection of essays, Land Divided, Land Restored.

Issues of land remain some of the most emotive in local discourse, chained to personal identity, livelihood, oppression, and violence. Yet the complex history and post-1994 systems of governance and redress are most often reduced to slogans, used and abused by coffee-shop-revolutionaries and campaigning politicians. Since the Economic Freedom Fighters emerged, voicing anger over land dispossession and the failure of transformation policies, efforts to lead the conversation have detached “land” from land, while actual work on the issue founders.

Responding to the rhetoric, and coinciding with the centenary of the 1913 Land Act, President Zuma and the ANC have introduced a raft of legislation aimed at giving the party the lead on the issue, which will change little. Last week Zuma, continuing the disconnected dialogue, suggested more troubled times ahead.

Compiling available statistics, Land Divided, Land Restored says by 2013 only 3.37 percent of land had been redistributed through land reform initiatives and 2.46 percent claimed through restitution, with around 20,000 restitution claims not finalised after being lodged in 1998.

“In 20 years land reform has only marginally altered the agrarian structure of South Africa, and has made relatively minor positive impacts on those to whom land has been transferred,” writes University of Western Cape academic Ben Cousins. Around eight percent of farmland has been transferred. Many urban, as well as rural, claims have resulted in cash compensation. Projects to build viable agriculture businesses from restitution claims have struggled and tenure on farms and in communal areas remains largely unreformed.

The failures stem from poor policies and implementation as meaningful land reform is sacrificed to politics. Addressing the National House of Traditional Leaders last week, Zuma highlighted two of these problems. More

Source: Dailymaverick.co.za

Poultry offer fails to feather US farmers’ nests

AN IMPROVED offer by the local poultry industry to allow more US chicken imports into SA failed to win the approval of US poultry producers at a meeting in Washington on Friday.

SA’s delegation raised by 50% the annual tonnage of allowable imported US chicken it would accept free of antidumping duties but the US industry rejected this as insufficient. A US official who attended last week’s meeting confirmed on Tuesday the industry associations from the two countries had failed to reach agreement and were "far apart".

An agreement on poultry is vital to win the support of a body of US politicians for renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) which includes SA, in the US Congress. Agoa expires in September.

US senators John Isakson of Georgia and Chris Coons of Delaware have undertaken to ensure that SA is excluded unless US poultry is allowed into SA free of antidumping duties. Both governments have left it to their poultry industry associations to come up with a mutually acceptable agreement.

South African Poultry Association CEO Kevin Lovell said the talks had not succeeded as was hoped as no middle ground could be found with the US industry "which seems to be under the misapprehension that this is replacement for normal free-trade agreement negotiations". More

Source: www.bdlive.co.za