'No subsidies for farmers'
06/05/2006 13:42 - (SA)


Bethlehem - The agricultural sector will have to survive without subsidies, Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza told farmers in the eastern Free State on Saturday.

"It would create unintended conditions and problems in the future," Didiza said during a presidential municipal imbizo in Bethlehem, on the eastern Free State

She was responding to a farmer's suggestion that the government look at having farmworkers subsidised to curb retrenchments due to poor economic agricultural conditions.

Didiza said this would create problem for the government in terms of other sectors like the textile industry which was also suffering economic hardships.

During the meeting commercial farmers said the country's economy was booming but it was not felt in the agricultural sector.

Suggestions were made that the government rethink its position on subsidies and tariffs, especially regarding agricultural development.

"How can any emerging farmer, black or white, survive currently if more experienced farmers are battling economically," a farmer asked.

National Agricultural Farmers Union leader in the Free State, Hendrik Petersen said black farmers faced many other challenges.

"The pace of land reform is also still very slow despite many submissions (to government) on how to handle it," said Petersen.

Lack of feedback from Land Affairs to capacitate black farmers representative bodies, financial support and infrastructure are still issues these farmers were faced with.

In his reaction to the discussions, President Thabo Mbeki said the interdependence between the government and agriculture was again emphasised.

"The critical importance of agriculture in South Africa, the government is very firm on," he said.

Mbeki also repeated his central message during his imbizo so far in the eastern Free State.

"We must continue to work together...the intention must be that government and farmers engage continuously even at district level," he told the farmers.

Mbeki will be addressing a public meeting at 3pm in Warden on the final leg of his imbizo in the area.