R500m in aid to small farmers

DISASTER RELIEF: R50 000 MAXIMUM PER PRODUCER

Main objective is to assist in the completion of current production cycle. Moneyweb

Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza said 15 036 applications have been approved for aid from the R1.2 billion Covid-19 Agricultural Disaster Fund.

Those not approved had not proved land tenure or ownership or did not meet the minimum threshold of R20 000 turnover per annum.

The main objective of the support is to enable farmers to complete the current production cycle to ensure adequate food supply. Intendend beneficiaries are smallholder and communal producers with a turnover between R20 000 and R1 million per annum, with the following targets: 50% women, 40% youth and 6% people with disabilities.

The funding is a grant, and the voucher system will apply in partnership with distributors and manufacturers and will not exceed R50 000 per operation.

Didiza said the value of applications approved was more than R500 million. “Each of the approved farmers will receive inputs in line with the size of their farming operations.”

Most applications came from the Eastern Cape, followed by the Northern Cape and North West.

Approved applicants included 9 542 males, 5 494 women, 2 493 youth and 224 people living with disabilities.

The department was due to finalise the remaining applications next week.

Didiza said several lessons were learnt from the process, which government and various sectors, especially commodity groups working with small-scale and subsistence farmers, would build on.

It was noted that 30% of the applicants lacked the proper documents or filed applications incorrectly. “Many of them fell by the [wayside] because they could not provide proof that they are farmers or farming,” said Didiza.

“The registration of farmers on the Producer Farmer Register will enable the government to locate farmers so that targeted support can be provided.”

She urged farmer organisations to assist farmers to formalise their operations, especially regarding record-keeping.

Those who missed the application deadlines can get information of other funds for help from the nearest departmental office.

A further R400 million was being channelled to farmers approved for the stimulus package within the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy. – Moneyweb