Government to create more measures to support black farmers
Minister Senzeni Zokwana says the strategy is aimed at catapulting smallholder producers into commercial farmers
The government is in the process of finalising the development of a commercialisation strategy aimed at increasing the number of black farmers. Responding to questions in the National Assembly this week, agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister Senzeni Zokwana said the strategy is aimed at catapulting smallholder producers into commercial farmers. It also aims to address the government’s three priority areas of unemployment, inequality and food insecurity, the minister said. “The intervention is in support of the broad concept of ensuring the establishment of black commercial producers and industrialists. The identified key target is to commercialise 450 [50 per province province] smallholder producers,” said Zokwana. The Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies has previously stated that more than 70% of commercial farms in SA are owned by white farmers. There are about 39,000 white commercial farmers in the country, and just more than 5,000 black farmers, according to ...
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