Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen made sweeping announcements at the AFASA Leadership and Strategic Partnership Conference today, revealing a major policy shift to tackle the country’s agricultural challenges.
By Maile Matsimela, Digital Editor at African Farming
Speaking at the Agriculture Research Council’s Roodeplaat Campus on Wednesday, 26 November, Steenhuisen addressed stock theft, land redistribution and financial inclusion.
“I want to make it very clear. The Department of Agriculture and the Minister of Agriculture hear your cries, we hear your pleas and we hear your frustration,” Steenhuisen told the conference.
Stock theft declared national crisis
Steenhuisen didn’t mince words when addressing the country’s stock theft crisis, calling it a “massively overlooked issue” that’s devastating rural communities.
“In 2023, more than 27 000 cases of livestock theft were reported. Losses exceeded 1.3 billion rand,” he revealed, with the Free State alone losing R183 million.
The minister has formally called for stock theft to be made a priority crime, demanding harsh punishment for offenders.
“If you’re hungry, you’re not stealing 23 sheep. That’s not hunger. That’s theft,” he said firmly. “We need to have minimum sentencing requirements for those caught with stock. We need to have confiscation of the vehicles and trailers being used, and I recommend we donate those to the police stations in rural areas.”
Also read: Livestock theft not a ‘white problem’, says FF+
Land redistribution criticism
In a pointed critique of current land redistribution practices, Steenhuisen questioned why agricultural land is given to inexperienced recipients while qualified graduates struggle to access farming opportunities.
“Why are we giving pieces of land to people who don’t know the first thing about farming? Why are we handing over large tracts of viable agricultural land to people who have never farmed in their lives, have no experience, when we have young graduates exiting our agricultural colleges every single year?” he asked.
The minister announced that over 3 000 agricultural graduates were placed through government programmes this year, with more than 66 000 farmers receiving training.
“Let’s stop these 30-year leases. Let’s start giving people title deeds, so they can invest in a legacy,” he urged.
Also read: From our editor: Focusing on the low-hanging fruit for land reform success
Export markets the key to prosperity
Steenhuisen emphasised the importance of export markets for South African agriculture, drawing on his recent travels to Asia and other regions.
“Having travelled to, from Europe to the Middle East and the Far East, people are hungry for our products,” he said.
He highlighted the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region of Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia, as a massive opportunity, representing over 700 million consumers where South Africa has a counter-seasonal advantage.
“Export demand pulls all the way through the value chain… And when we allow these emerging farmers to grow, they too can start to benefit from these market access opportunities,” the minister explained.
Also read: Nick Serfontein’s open letter to Minister Steenhuisen: ‘Here we go again’
Japanese farming model for small farmers
The minister praised the Japanese-inspired Smallholder Empowerment Promotion (SHEP) programme, which shifts farmers from hoping for markets after harvest to growing specifically for known markets.
“This SHEP approach has increased income and confidence and improved long-term business stability,” he said, citing the successful Jozini Smallholder Farmer Programme as a model for nationwide replication.
Also read: From our editor: Bridging the funding gap for the future of farming
Financial inclusion urgent priority
Addressing the financial challenges facing small farmers, Steenhuisen acknowledged that too many are excluded from affordable credit and vulnerable to climate shocks.
“There are far too many farmers that are blocked from affordable credit and far too many are vulnerable to climate shocks,” he said.
“Blended finance must continue to scale up the way we have been doing. We need to create a far deeper and wider pool of patient capital in South Africa and to guarantee schemes that allow banks to lend at lower risk, as well as climate-smart working capital.”
The minister stressed that finance must be paired with insurance protection: “This finance must be paired with parametric insurance so that one failed season doesn’t destroy or wipe out the farm.”
Also read: Bridging the financial gap: African farmers seek better access to funding
The minister’s announcements signal a decisive shift towards proactive agricultural policy, with the potential to revolutionise how South Africa addresses disease control, food security and rural economic development.
The AFASA Leadership and Strategic Partnership Conference continues today at the ARC Roodeplaat Campus.
