Agri SA in talks with minister
2010-01-25 20:07
Cape Town - Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson has again assured Agri SA of her co-operation and support.
Agri SA said in a statement on Monday following discussions between the organisation and the minister, that the Agri SA delegation had used the opportunity to discuss the priorities of their work programme for 2010 with her.
Considerable attention was given to the strategic plan for South African agriculture as a framework for policy-making.
An understanding was reached that the government's latest policy initiatives should be offset within this plan and confirmed at the highest level.
Summits
The committee that dealt with the recent updating of the plan would attend to this.
The involvement of the minister and her colleagues in Agri SA's commodity conference to be held on February 25, the farmer development conference on February 26, and the security summit on March 8 was also discussed.
Joemat-Pettersson had assured Agri SA of her co-operation and support.
"At Agri SA's 2009 congress, the minister had referred to various issues on which she wants to work together with Agri SA and its members to strengthen the viability of commercial agriculture.
"It was also agreed that Agri SA would consult with her department and also report to her in this regard according to an agreed-upon schedule," Agri SA said.
Documents urgently required
This included the disaster and emergency relief scheme, the review of legislation and regulations for agriculture, an appropriate agricultural trade and tariff policy, international border fences, black economic empowerment, African initiatives, a database for land ownership in South Africa, and a farm worker summit announced earlier by the minister.
"The minister insisted that topical issues in agriculture should be dealt with timeously.
"She asked Agri SA to provide her urgently with the relevant documentation, specifically with regard to actions relating to disaster and emergency relief to agriculture."
- SAPA