“We cannot afford to leave more than 1.8 million hectares of state land, much of which is very fertile, unutilised,” Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, said recently at the International Fresh Produce Association’s (IFPA) Southern Africa Conference on transformation in the agricultural sector.
By Jasper Raats, senior journalist and African Farming and Landbouweekblad
“This land must be brought out of the shadow of unproductiveness and transformed into sustainable production units where upcoming farmers can have full economic participation.”
Steenhuisen said state property and unused land should be viewed as a strategic opportunity rather than a political burden. According to him, land ownership is the cornerstone of real transformation in agriculture.
“As the government, we need to invest in title deeds for black farmers who have shown that they are serious about food production.”
Steenhuisen said any beneficiary of land reform or restitution who has been farming for more than five years should receive the title deed of the land on which they are farming. “As the government, we should not hold on to land because we do not trust the people who want to farm on it to make a success of it. Instead, we need to create an environment in which all farmers, big and small, can thrive through agricultural technical support, market access and financial support so that these farmers not only exist on paper but can actually produce, process and export.”
He said black farmers’ business development is being hampered because they are expected to invest in land for which they have no long-term security.
“How can you establish orchards, put up fences, build dams and make roads on land that isn’t actually yours? How can you borrow money from the bank or get an advance from an input provider if you can’t offer any land as security?”
His department’s director general, Mooketsa Ramasodi, also highlighted the need for inclusive, transformation-driven growth in agriculture at Potatoes SA’s Innovation Symposium the previous day.
“We need to ensure the innovation and value chains not only benefit the commercial sector but also include the small-scale farmer, the woman and the youth in agriculture,” he said.
Also read: ‘Meaningful transformation in agriculture is impossible without strong partnerships’
State Land And Market Access
Both leaders agree agricultural transformation should focus on economic independence. “We need fewer projects that depend on government grants, and more businesses that can stand on their own feet,” Steenhuisen said.
According to Ramasodi, biosecurity, seed certification and research should also act as leverage for transformation. “When we give access to certified, disease-free seeds and reliable infrastructure, we lower the entry thresholds for new producers.”
Both emphasised that successful transformation cannot occur without cooperation. “The government is not a market participant – our role is to lay the foundation so that the private sector thrives,” Steenhuisen reiterated.
Ramasodi, in turn, emphasised the importance of research institutions and the agricultural industry. “They are cultivating not only crops but also scientists and future leaders,” he said.
He also emphasised that innovation is not just about tools and technology but also about policy reform, the sharing of knowledge and respect for indigenous agricultural practices.
Both believe that South Africa’s agricultural sector is on the verge of a breakthrough in transformation, provided that policies actively pave the way for true inclusion, ownership and sustainable participation by emerging farmers.
