Fear of nationalisation, labour laws, inhibit investments in agriculture
South African policies on agriculture and farming need to be addressed to ensure sustainable farming, investment and security of food supply in the future, said agriculture union TAU-SA general manager Bennie van Zyl. He added that - as concerns grew over land ownership - many skilled farmers were leaving the industry and even the country, reducing commercial farming skills and output, Engineering News reports.
Speaking at an Agribusiness Indaba, van Zyl pointed out that the government's approach towards farming created uncertainty in the agriculture sector, which could result in the country running out of food. It was no longer about whether the farmer was black or white, he said, but whether the farmer successfully used the land for food production. The question was what farmers were doing with the 122-million hectares of agricultural land in South Africa.
According to Engineering News, Agrifica director Dr Lawrence McCrystal said that contributions and investments in capital, as well as support from surrounding farmers, were required. He pointed out that there were many inhibitors to investments and successful commercial farming, which included the threat of nationalisation and the country's inflexible labour laws. Further, the country required policies and practices that supported and encouraged smaller farmers.
Read the full article on www.engineeringnews.co.za.
