Govt sets aside R1bn to assist subsistence farmers

The department has set aside R1 billion to help subsistence farmers across the country.  

Minister of Agriculture Thoko Didiza says subsistence farmers have been heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.  

"These are producers who utilise land in the back of their homes, gardens and communal areas, all of which are more or less the size of a soccer field.  

"It is these producers who create a wall against the fight for food insecurity at the household level, these are producers who do not earn any other income but these small patches of land remain their income and livelihoods.”

The minister admitted that the current agricultural policies do not address the needs of subsistence farmers.  

She adds these farmers are defined as "unbankable" by the financial sector, although their role is vital in securing food security in the country. 

"Within these producers in the majority are women, we have there decided to target 50% of women to be beneficiaries in this intervention.  

"About 40% of this would be youth, and 6% would target people with disabilities, military veterans, farmworkers and farm dwellers." 

Application forms for the stimulus pakage would be available in all South African official languages.  

Applications for the package will open on Thursday this week. 

The amount of support will range between R1000 and R9000, depending on the scale of production.