Department of Agriculture

General information

VISION, MISSION AND VALUES

Our vision

“A dynamic, prosperous agricultural sector and a better life for rural communities”

Our mission

“To empower the agricultural sector through the provisioning and facilitation of efficient agricultural development support and investment solutions in order to ensure rural development, constant economic growth and sustainable livelihoods”

Our values

The core values of the Department are informed by the letter and spirit of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 and the supporting suite of transformation legislation. These values are:

• Transparency
• Accountability
• Good governance
• Dedication
• Integrity
• Professionalism
• Passion
• Confidentiality

Mohoma Mobung is multi-year mega Public and Private Partnership business concept, which revolves around income generation through farming in the rural area of the province, and the creation of on and off-farm agribusiness, value chain enterprises and Black Economic Empowerment. It is a strategic approach that aims at addressing low household incomes by increasing agricultural production, value and profitability of household agricultural production, Agro-processing and Marketing.
It includes crop, fisheries and livestock sectors, related agro-processing and agribusiness enterprises and market access concerns. Eligible entities are Cooperatives, Companies, Partnership and Proprietary farms, Agricultural produce marketing committees/boards, Agro‐industries Corporations and Growers associations.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION

Mohoma Mobung will enable the Free State Provincial government to strengthen its role in agro-processing industries in an effort to draw greater volumes of agricultural production from farms.
Agro-processing has been identified by the government as a key driver of job creation in the agriculture sector as identified in the New Growth Path document. It will bring more enterprises and investors into agriculture in order to stimulate competition and demand for agricultural products for the domestic and export markets.
The plan urges the private sector to invest in agriculture and agro-processing by building factories for the manufacturing. It also focuses strongly on expanding infrastructure in rural areas in order to bring smaller farmers into the national agricultural market and to reduce the costs of logistics for all farmers. A critical part of the infrastructure programme would focus amongst others on speeding up the building of new dams, irrigation systems, the allocation of water rights, etc.
Agriculture and agro-business has a role in championing the country’s foreign policy agenda, and the Free State government has started levelling the playing field through Mohoma Mobung for investors.

DELIVERY AGREEMENTS AND PROVINCIAL PRIORITY OUTCOMES

The department of Agriculture and Rural Development contributes to the following outcomes:
Outcome 7: vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities and food security for all will be achieved through the following outputs:
• Sustainable agrarian reform with a thriving small and large farming sector
• Improved access to affordable and diverse food
• Improved rural services to support livelihoods
• Improved employment opportunities and economic livelihoods
• Enabling institutional environment for sustainable and inclusive growth
Outcome 4: strengthening employment, economic growth and equality in line with the job creation model
Sub-output 3: Sector strategies to support growth of labour-intensive industries Diversification of the economy into industries that can support employment, starting with labour-absorbing sectors in IPAP2 (agro processing, tourism, BPS, biofuels, clothing, forestry): implement KAPs
• Proposals for expanding employment in agriculture, especially through step up in (a) number of formal small-scale producers based on integration of land reform with other support measures and (b) existing micro producers experiencing qualitative improvement in output
• Develop standardised approach to sector strategies that establishes common methodology across the state for (a) identifying constraints on employment-creating growth, (b) ensuring alignment of budgets and government institutions, and (c) working with stakeholders
• Identify all labour-absorbing sectors and monitor their development
Outcome 10: Environmental Assets & Natural Resources that are valued, protected & continually enhanced
This summary suggests the need to address four critical problems:
• Water is unsustainably used and the quality and quantity of water resources is in decline;
• Reduce green-house gas emissions, prepare strategies to cope with projected climate change impacts and reverse the rising trend in relation to the release of pollutants into the atmosphere;
• Proper and better management of our environment; and
• Protection of our biodiversity.

AGRICULTURE SERVICES
1. Veterinary Services – Dr. Christian Mojapelo (051 436 5879)

Responsible for provision of the following services:
• Promoting a healthy animal population through disease surveillance, disease prevention and disease control.
• Prevent transmission of disease of animal origin to humans.
• Promote food safety in food of animal origin, with special emphasis on enforcing good hygiene practices at abattoirs.
• Facilitate export of animals and/or animal products through certification of health of these animals and/or animal products.
• Provide a reliable and reputable laboratory diagnostic service.
• Promote animal identification to support traceability

2. Extension Services - outstanding

3. Formal and non-formal Training - outstanding

4. Food Security - outstanding

5. Engineering - outstanding

6. Soil Conservation and Land Care – Mr. Jacques Olivier (051 861 1420)

• LandCare co-ordinates and facilitates the planning and development of land reform projects with the implementation of the LandCare programme.
• The unit is structured to implement CARA (Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act 43 of 1983) by implementing soil conservation works.
• This includes the planning, survey and design of infrastructure such as waterways, contours, water reticulation systems, drainage structures and erosion structures.
• The unit consists of a head office component and officials in the districts.

7. Agricultural Economics Development and Planning – Dr. Richard Awumey (051 861 8428)

Services are offered in the field of agricultural economics namely:-
• Production economics
• Farm management
• Agricultural marketing
• Agricultural business development
• Macro economics (Develop and evaluate business plans, do research, render advice, analyse and disseminate information)

8. Development Planning

Sub-Programme 2.1: Institutional Coordination and Special Projects
The purpose of the sub-programme is to provide, facilitate and coordinate institutional support and special projects. This will be achieved through:
• The creation of an enabling institutional environment for sustainable and improved growth;
• The initiation of special projects within the rural development framework; and
• The management of cross-cutting institutional support.
Sub-Programme 2.3: Land and Agrarian Reform
• Land and Agrarian reform is to create an enabling institutional environment for sustainable Rural Development and Livelihood and to support Land and Agrarian transformation

Sub-Programme 2.4: Rural Infrastructure Development
• To facilitate improved access to basic services, economic and income generating opportunities through improved physical infrastructure in rural areas.

9. Social Facilitation

Sub-Programme 3.1: Social, Technical, Rural Livelihoods and Institutional Facilitation (STRIF)
To create an enabling institutional environment for sustainable rural development and to provide for social and economic development in rural communities and sustainable livelihoods

Women in Agriculture and Rural Development (WARD)

The Women in Agriculture and Rural Development (WARD) Programme was launched in October 2006 to advance and promote meaningful participation in agriculture by rural women, youth and people with disabilities. The objective of this programme is to empower and encourage women to participate in the agricultural sector, either as producers or entrepreneurs.

Female Entrepreneur of the Year

The Female Entrepreneur of the Year Awards’ main objective is to encourage and recognise participation of women in the agricultural, forestry and fisheries sectors. The event rewards the effort and contribution made by women in matters of food security through small and large-scale agricultural production, as well as participation in value-chain activities. The Female Entrepreneur of the Year Awards replaced the previous Female Farmer of the Year competition in line with the broadened mandate of the national Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

For female entrepreneurs to be eligible for the competition, they must have their own businesses. In the case of groups, ownership by women should be 80% and companies must be registered in their names. In the case of a trust, 80% of the trustees must be women and they must be active. The Free State has a proud history of receiving recognition for the excellent performance of female entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector. This is illustrated as follows:

• During 2009, the category Top Producer Household Consumption, Communal Garden was awarded to Tswelelang Pele Bomme Vegetable Project;
• The 2009 Export Market prize was awarded to Lema Intensive Farming Venture of the Free State. This project also scooped the Female Farmer of the Year 2009. The venture involves the export of vegetables and essential oils to Lesotho; and
• In the 2010 competition, Category 4: Top Entrepreneur: Smallholder in the processing sub-category, was won by Ms Nerne van der Merwe of Free State.

Youth in Agriculture and Rural Development (YARD)
Youth in Agriculture and Rural Development (YARD) is a youth structure which was established nationally following on a national conference and subsequently endorsed by the government to function as of 30 November 2007. The institution is expected among others to:
• Promote and improve the active participation of youth in the agricultural sector
• Understand and respond to the youth's needs by implementing appropriate programmes, policies and services
• Promote and develop the skills of youth as leaders at all levels in agriculture and rural development
• Promote economic equality for the youth through Agricultural Black Economic
• Empowerment (AgriBEE) and other programmes
• Advocate for the youth's equal participation and representation in decision making in the agriculture and rural development sector.
Re Jala Peo

RE JALA PEO is an initiative funded and supported by the Free State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development under its Youth in Agriculture and Development (YARD) project. The project is aimed at expanding opportunities in the film industry to young people in farms and rural towns and to create employment for rural youth of the Free State province.

This is a programme that is training the youth in film and documentaries so that they can be able to tell stories in their localities through television as a tool of communication. There was an intake of 24 young people from rural towns and farms in the province in September 2011. The exit strategy is still being finalised to enable them to establish their own production companies. The programme will run for two years and then reviewed for impact and value.

GLEN AGRICULTURAL TRAINING INSTITUTE

Glen Agricultural Training Institute is a public institution of the department of agriculture and rural development complying with the National Qualification Framework of the South African Qualification Authority. The Institution serves as a centre of excellence in agricultural training serving the Free State Province, as well as national and international clientele.

The Institute specialises in higher and further education training band. The Institute campus is situated in a farm which was acquired in 1913 and comprises nearly 4600 ha. To the South of the estate runs the Modder River with the Renosterspruit as tributary. Over the years Glen College has built up a proud tradition of academic excellence in agriculture, with the year 2002 seeing the College picking up momentum for even greater heights.

The centre for higher education and training is responsible for formal training of students. It offers three year agricultural diploma qualifications to students. Each year the centre graduates students who have completed their studies in these accredited fields.

The centre for further education and training provides and facilitate accredited training to farmers and farm workers. The two centres complement each other in terms of training of farmers as well as recognition of prior learning for these clients. The training of farmers takes place on site at Glen as well as outreach programmes at various centres in the province. The centre operates in collaboration with other stakeholders who are accredited in ensuring affordable training for farmers and farm workers.

• The curriculum of the higher education band consists of two elective specialized directions “Crop Production” and “Animal Production” with their respective ancillary subjects. These two directions are supported by compulsory subjects in the field of engineering, economics, pasture science and extension.

• The curriculum of the further education band needs base and consist of short courses and learnership programmes.

The Institute’s centre for higher education sets a very high premium on academic performance. Students are also given the opportunity to partake in any religious beliefs, social and sporting activities.

Contact details:
Mr. J. J. Snyman
Tel no.: 051 861 8328
Jans@fs.agric.za

Mr. M. A. Radebe
Tel no; 051 861 8346
maradebe@fs.agric.za

National Rural Youth Service Corps (NARYSEC)

The Department is responsible for the implementation of the National Youth Rural Services Corps whose aim it is to train youth in rural areas in various aspects of skills development in order to build their capacity and participate in socio-economic development in rural areas. This programme entails inviting youths between the ages of 18 and 35 from each of the 3 300 rural wards to be enrolled for training in various skills that will equip them, both with theoretical and practical knowledge to create employment for themselves and other people in their communities. Candidates who have completed their two-year training will be able to help develop their own communities.

The first intake of 351 was done in February 2011. These young people have been in training for construction and Electronic Records Management since September to December 2011 in different FET colleges namely: Flavius Mareka in Fezile Dabi, Motheo in Motheo District and Goldfields in Lejweleputswa. The theory part of the construction has been completed and they will be resuming with their practical work in mid February 2012. There are plans to have another intake of a minimum of 400 learners in March 2012.
The youth have successful completed a course in Community house building (206), electronic records management (56) and disaster management (9)

War on Poverty

The War on Poverty Campaign is led by the Presidency and seeks to intervene and address the plight of indigent households. This will see the President, Deputy President and other members of the Executive teaming of with the Premier and Members of the Executive Council to visit households mostly affected by poverty and working with them to find short, medium and long term solutions. The programme also seeks to ensure that society (civil society, business, non-government organizations, community-based organizations) joins in the anti-poverty effort. The Free State pilot site for the War on Poverty campaign is Jacobsdal.

The goals and objectives include the following;

• Developing & deepening a coherent shared vision of poverty alleviation defined within the shared growth and development policy spectrum.
• Developing, implementing and reviewing policies, strategies and programmes for integrated poverty alleviation.
• Ensuring inclusive coordination, management and implementation of poverty alleviation initiatives with a wide spectrum of social partners.
• Providing and marshalling funding support and necessary resources to implement the poverty alleviation programmes.
• Promoting an entrenched sustainable community development.
• Linking grants to sustainable livelihoods and development.
• Increasing the potential of the vulnerable groups to engage in integrated, viable and self-reliant opportunities.
• Developing indicators for monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of poverty alleviation initiatives

The mandate of War on Poverty is to develop a database of households living in poverty through household profiling for accelerated interventions and linkages to development and employment opportunities.

The programme’s approach is to profile households and communities to assess their strengths and needs. Referrals are then generated to the department or institution responsible for government services individuals within households and communities are eligible for but are not receiving. Linkages are also created with institutions or organizations that will further enable individuals or communities to control their destinies.

War on Poverty is therefore an opportune vehicle in attaining Millennium Development Goals to which South Africa is a signatory and in working toward Zero Hunger paradigm.

In the Free State, WOP also links with the Operation Hlasela Campaign Framework, which is intended to consolidate all existing government programmes to ensure maximum impact. It focuses on mass mobilisation, service delivery intervention, collaboration and partnerships to fulfil the notion of “working together we can do more” and that is why we have been using Operation Hlasela is a vehicle for service delivery blitz.

Comprehensive Rural Development Programme

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for the coordination and implementation of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP) throughout the Free State Province. The CRDP is a strategy in the fight against poverty, hunger, unemployment, and lack of development in rural areas. It is focused on enabling rural people to take control of their destiny, with the support from government, and thereby dealing effectively with rural poverty through the optimal use and management of natural resources.

This will be achieved through a co-ordinated and integrated broad-based agrarian transformation as well as the strategic investment in economic and social infrastructure that will benefit the entire rural communities. The programme will be successful when it becomes apparent that “sustainable and vibrant rural communities” are succeeding throughout South Africa. The CRDP is a catalyst and facilitator to ensure that development takes place in rural communities.

The mandate of the Department Agriculture and Rural Development is to develop rural areas throughout the Free State, and to achieve this the Department adopted the National strategy of CRDP that seeks to address issues such as underdevelopment, hunger, poverty, joblessness, lack of basic services and other social ills which have become synonymous with rural areas.

The CRDP has a holistic approach, partnering various stakeholders like other departments, non-governmental organizations, the business sector and the communities, in order to enhance socio-economic development issues.

The CRDP also embraces youth development. The department has established the National Youth Rural Services Corps to train youth in rural areas in various aspects of skills development in order to build their capacity and participate in socio-economic development in rural areas.

SERVICE DELIVERY CENTERS

Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality
Mr. Thabitha Mokone – 051 875 1161

Fezile Dabi District
Mr. Moshela Roberts – 016 976 2003

Lejweleputswa District
Me. Botho Pule – 057 916 6723

Thabo Mofutsanyane District
Me. Alta Meyer – 058 718 2600

Xhariep District
Mr. Serf van Schalkwyk – 051 713 0480

Programme 1: Administration

Administration is structured “to manage and formulate agricultural policies in the Province and plan, organise, co-ordinate, finance and control all agricultural functions in the Department”. The programme also ensures that there are appropriate support services to all other programmes with regard to finance, personnel, information, communication, logistics and procurement. The programme comprises of the Offices of the Executive Authority and Senior Management, including Internal Audit, Special Programmes and the budgets of multifunction managers. Two other supportive sub-programmes viz. Corporate Services and Financial Management also form part of the programme and Communication Services constitutes the fifth sub-programme.

Programme 2: Sustainable Resource Management

This programme of budget “provides agricultural support services to farmers in order to ensure the sustainable management of agricultural resources”. The key services to be performed are those in respect of agricultural engineering, soil conservation and Land Care. The sub-programmes are Engineering Services, Land Care and Land Use Management.

Programme 3: Farmer Support and Development

The programme has been structured to “provide extension and training to farmers with special emphasis on developing emerging farmers, implementation of land reform programmes and agricultural-rural development projects”. The programme also makes provision for Food Security support services and assists actively with the implementation of the community projects funded from Ilima/Letsema and the Comprehensive Agriculture Support Programme (CASP). The sub-programmes include Farmer Settlement, Extension and Advisory Services, Food Security and Rural Development.

Programme 4: Veterinary Services

The objective of the programme is “to provide veterinary services to clients to ensure healthy animals and the welfare of the people of South Africa”. The sub-programmes are Animal Health and Disease Control, Veterinary Public Health and Export Control & Laboratory and Epidemiology Services.

Programme 5: Research, Technology and Development Services

The primary objective is “to render agricultural research services and the development of information systems with regard to crop production, animal production and resource utilization technologies”. The sub-programmes are Research, Information Services, Infrastructure Support Services.

Programme 6: Agricultural Economics

The programme has been structured “to provide economic support to internal and external clients with regard to marketing, statistical information including financial feasibility and economic viability studies”. The sub-programmes are Agric-Business Development and Support and Macro-economics and Statistics.
Programme 7: Structured Agricultural Training

The purpose of Structured Agricultural Training is “to facilitate and provide education to all participants in the agricultural sector” in order to establish a knowledgeable and competitive sector. Tertiary agricultural and non-formal training are provided by the Glen College of Agriculture, a fully accredited institution with the Higher Education Qualification Committee (HEQC). The sub-programmes are Tertiary Education and Further Education and Training.

FRAUD AND ANTI-CORRUPTION

• National Anti-Corruption Hotline: 0800 701 701

CONTACT US

Office of the MEC
Private Bag X01
Glen

Telephone: +2751 861 8401
Fax: +2751 861 8451
E-mail: mabum@fs.agric.za

Office Manager: Me. Zanoxolo Jacobs
Telephone 051 861 8507
Fax 051 861 8451
E-mail jacobsz@fs.agric.za

Contact details of the Head of Department: Agriculture

Telephone: (051) 861 8414
Fax: (051) 861 8452
E-mail: pahod@fs.agric.za

Office Manager: Mr Mfanafuthi Gama
Telephone 051 861 8363
Fax 051 861 8454
E-mail gama@fs.agric.za

Strategic Communications & Information Services

Telephone: (051) 861 8511/4
Fax: (051) 861 8578/086 723 8206
E-mail: pacomm@fs.agric.za

Director: Ms. Moliehi Tlhobelo

Telephone: (051) 861 8515
Fax: (051) 861 8578 / 086 723 8206
E-mail: Tlhobelo@fs.agric.za