Agri SA has welcomed last week’s announcement by finance minister Tito Mboweni in his mediumterm budget policy statement (MTBPS) that R4.4bn has been allocated to the Land Bank to assist emerging farmers.
The association’s head of corporate affairs and communication, Pietman Roos, described the allocation as opportune and timely given a recent stakeholders’ meeting that identified the need to create an Agricultural Development Fund (ADF).
“Agri SA has been in discussion with various stakeholders to see how the different role players can work together,” said Roos. “The R4.4bn announcement in the MTBPS is a step towards realising this grand vision.”
According to Roos the allocation shows that coordinated efforts between government and the private sector to secure funding for budding black farmers is picking up momentum.
