2 July 2025

The ANC Study Group on Agriculture welcomes the presentations to the Portfolio Committee on the revised 2025/26 Annual Performance Plans and budget allocations of the Department of Agriculture, the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), and the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC). We note that these plans have been refined to align with the country’s development priorities of driving inclusive growth, reducing poverty, and tackling the high cost of living.

We commend the Department for revising its Strategic Plan and APP to address the Auditor-General findings, thereby strengthening the credibility of its targets and indicators. This demonstrates a commitment to sound governance and accountability in the agricultural sector. The ANC Study Group emphasizes the urgent need for transformation in the agricultural sector. We are encouraged that this imperative is central to the plans presented. The NAMC’s mandate – as enshrined in the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act; is explicitly to increase market access for all participants in the sector, which speaks to the inclusion of emerging black farmers and previously disadvantaged communities. Likewise, the SAVC’s Strategic Plan prioritises transformation of the veterinary professions, including measures such as establishing a second veterinary faculty to broaden access to training. These efforts align with the ANC’s commitment to redress historical inequities and ensure that the agricultural value chain becomes more inclusive. 

True transformation in agriculture will not only empower black farmers and professionals but also enhance productivity and sustainability by drawing on the talents of all South Africans. We call on all stakeholders to accelerate these transformation initiatives, as a transformed agricultural sector is key to long-term food security and economic justice in our rural communities. The Study Group remains deeply concerned about food security and the burden of high food prices on the working class and the poor. Food inflation continues to erode the incomes of low-income households, making basic nutrition increasingly unaffordable. We therefore welcome the focus in the APPs on bolstering food security programmes and monitoring food prices. We note the NAMC’s critical work in tracking food price trends, evidenced by the merging of its Food Price Monitor and Input Cost Monitor into a single, comprehensive Food and Input Cost Report for improved efficiency. Timely information on food prices and production costs will enable the government to design responsive interventions to cushion consumers from price shocks.

Furthermore, the Department’s Food Security and Support programme (Programme 3) must be well-resourced and protected, as it directly addresses hunger and supports subsistence and smallholder farmers. The ANC Study Group urges the Department to intensify support for community and household food production initiatives, and we encourage partnerships with other agencies to ensure that no South African goes to bed hungry. Ensuring affordable, available food is not only a moral imperative but also foundational for a healthy, productive nation.

Regarding budget allocations and cuts, the ANC Study Group holds a clear position: while we acknowledge the current fiscal constraints, budget cuts in the agricultural portfolio should not come at the expense of service delivery, research, or rural development. We are concerned that any reduction in funding to critical programmes and entities could undermine the gains envisioned in these APPs. The presentations highlighted challenges that could arise from constrained budgets, including the risk of losing skilled personnel and scaling down of key activities. For instance, the ARC’s plan underlines the importance of ensuring that implementation of austerity measures has minimal impact on the ARC’s research, development and technology transfer initiatives. Research and innovation are the backbones of improving agricultural productivity and building climate resilience; cuts in this area would be counterproductive.

Similarly, funding shortfalls in the Department’s extension services or farmer support schemes could stall service delivery to emerging farmers and slow down rural development projects. Our rural communities depend on these services for training, veterinary support, market access and infrastructure – all of which are catalysts for rural economic upliftment. The ANC Study Group therefore urges National Treasury and the Department to work together to safeguard priority agricultural programs from budget cuts. We must ensure that core mandates – from biosecurity and food security to research and farmer support – are adequately funded so that the momentum toward a vibrant, inclusive agricultural sector is not lost. Any efficiency savings should be ploughed back into strengthening frontline services, and we support exploring innovative funding partnerships (as evidenced by ARC’s commercialisation efforts) to supplement public resources without compromising the developmental mandate.

The ANC Study Group on Agriculture remains committed to robust parliamentary oversight and support for the Department of Agriculture and its entities as they implement these revised plans. We are confident that, with dedicated execution and the necessary resources, the 2025/26 APPs and budgets will advance South Africa’s goals of eradicating hunger, empowering emerging farmers, and building a resilient, equitable agricultural economy. We will continue to champion the interests of the poor and rural communities in the committee’s work, ensuring that transformation and food security remain at the top of the agenda. The ANC reaffirms its view that agriculture is a cornerstone of our country’s socio-economic transformation, and we stand ready to support all efforts that move us toward a more inclusive and food-secure society.

Issued by the Whip of the ANC Study Group on Agriculture, Cde Sharon Davids.

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