LETTER: Farmland must be protected

There are pressures on agricultural land in SA, so it is crucial that agriculture minister John Steenhuisen is raising this issue (“Agricultural land at risk from property development and mining, Steenhuisen says”, August 21).

I would even stretch it beyond mining. Some land may be occupied by golf courses, warehouses and unplanned developments, and particularly in Limpopo, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal grazing veld is taken up by housing (amanxiwa).

To be fair, economics usually drives these decisions — land use substitution premised on returns to factor use. Still, we must continue to protect agricultural land for our food security needs. Critical legislation — the Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land Bill, which is waiting to be signed by the president — will help resolve this issue.

Wandile Sihlobo
Agricultural Business Chamber of SA

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