Steenhuisen commits to fair opportunities in agriculture
The Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has vowed to work with commodity bodies, and organised agriculture to create more equal opportunities in the sector.
Steenhuisen’s remarks follow Sakeliga’s accusations, that the Department of Agriculture is expanding Black Economic Empowerment and establishing a “transformation fund”.
Dismissing the accusations in Parliament on Tuesday, Steenhuisen said he believes in growing the sector using genuine empowerment models and equipping previously excluded sectors of society to participate fairly in markets.
"That is how you build a flourishing, value-based agri-business. Not by pretending and acting as ( Sakeliga CEO, Piet ) Le Roux does, that inequality and unfairness simply do not exist.”
Steenhuisen added that empowering small-scale farmers at farm-gate level, will unleash a growth and jobs revolution in the agricultural sector.
“The more farmers we have with the knowledge and ability to farm, the better production we have,” he said. “This not only ensures food security, but will also make sure we have the volumes to satisfy export requirements.”
“I am exceptionally proud of the work being done by each and every industry body, commodity association, farmers organisation and value chain to foster a spirit of “saambou” in our agriculture space, by their individual and collective industry efforts to build a quality of opportunity in our country. I urge all of them to not be distracted and diverted by the petty stone-throwing by Mr. Le Roux and Sakeliga.”
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