By Matsobane Manaka
MEC responsible for Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (LDARD) Thabo Mokone has presented his budget vote for financial year 2024/25 at Polokwane Municipal Council Chamber on 14 March 2024.
In his speech, Mokone gave details of the service delivery highlights and plans for 2024/25. Of the highlights, Mokone reiterated the pronouncement made by Premier Mathabatha during the State of the Province Address on the significant progress made in agriculture. “‘We implemented agricultural support programmes, such as the Land-Care, Revitalization of Agriculture and Agro-processing Value Chain (RAAVC) Plan, and the Market Access Certification Programme”’.
Mokone re-assured the farming community in his plans for 2024/25 that LDARD has developed a Service Delivery Model which follows Agro-Ecological Zone developmental approach. “Five Agricultural Development Zones (ADZs) are clearly identified with a view to developing agriculture based on Commodity Approach model. Those are Capricorn District as a potato belt, the Red Meat cluster under Waterberg District, Mopani as a citrus and subtropical cluster, Vhembe as a subtropical and vegetable cluster and Sekhukhune as a grain and cotton cluster. This agriculture production focus is integrated in the Limpopo District Development Model”, he noted. The model will contribute to the sector’s growth in economy, food security and job creation.
The plans for 2024/25 were outlined under the following programmes:
- Sustainable Resource Use and Management Programme: Discharge relief measures to mitigate the predicted unusual extreme weather conditions, and assist farmers negatively affected by natural strains such as drought and veld fires.
- Agricultural Development and Producer Support Programme: the department has targeted the increased participation of producers through the integrated value chain by supporting 9 414 across agricultural commodity groups.
- Veterinary Services Programme: the department plans to eradicate animal diseases, in particular livestock disease control, and intend to address all the aspects of production, value adding and market access.
- Research and Technology Development Services: allocation to cater among others, the two colleges of agriculture in the province that provide academic programmes, college infrastructure, revitalization and learnership programmes.
- Agricultural Economics Services: to provide timely and relevant agricultural economic services to the sector in support of sustainable agricultural and agri-business development to increase economic growth.
- Agricultural Education and Training: In addition to agricultural education and other policy interventions to build a prosperous and inclusive agricultural sector, eight agricultural schools will be assisted with production inputs and EPWP workers to establish and maintain food gardens.
- Rural Development: The department continues to integrate rural development as cross cutting element of all the programmes and projects to deal with rural poverty effectively through an integrated agrarian transformation and the strategic investment in agricultural infrastructure that will benefit farmers in rural communities.
Budget allocations of the mentioned programmes will be backed up and strengthened by the organizational capacity as stated under Administration programme.
The allocations are as follows:
LDARD 2024/25 BUDGET ALLOCATION SUMMARY
Programme 2024/25 R’000 % Share
Administration 370 634 20.8%
Sustainable Resource Use and Management 125 449 7.0%
Agriculture Producer Support and Development 759 217 42.6%
Veterinary Services 216 059 12.1%
Research and Technology Development Services 87 521 4.9%
Agricultural Economics Services 68 414 3.8%
Agricultural Education and Training 149 031 8.4%
Rural Development 6 287 0.4%
Total payments and estimates 1 782 612 100.0%.
Category 2024/25 R’000
Equitable Share 1 461 652
Conditional Grant 320 960
Land Care 13 674
EPWP 4 753
CASP 247 211
Letsema 55 322
Total payments and estimates 1 782 612.
