Agri SA is excited by yesterday’s announcement in the MTBPS of the R4,4 billion that will be allocated to the Land Bank to support emerging farmers. This is hopefully the start of a big turn-around for farming in South Africa.
“The mention of the private sector’s coordinated efforts with government in unlocking financing for transformation, shows that momentum is building,” says Pietman Roos, Agri SA Head of Corporate Affairs and Communication. “The next step is to iron out details on how to unlock these synergies.”
Agri SA has been in discussion with various stakeholders including government, developmental finance institutions (DFI’s) both local and international, commercial banks and private equity funds (PE) among others, to see how the different role players can work together. One of the central ideas that emerged in these discussions was a collaborative Agricultural Development Fund (ADF). The R4,4 billion announcement in the MTBPS is a step towards realising this grand vision.
“The ultimate aim is to drive sustainable, and importantly speedy, agrarian reform,” says Roos. “Collaboration with the private sector will be necessary for success.”
Agri SA will continue to engage with all stakeholders to ensure the policy becomes reality. We look forward to working with the Land Bank in this shared goal.
For more information:
Pietman Roos
Agri SA
Tel: +27 12 643 3400
Mobile: +27 66 201 8326
www.agrisa.co.za