Progress in land reform and putting time-frames in place for a bio-fuels strategy were key issues raised at a Mid-May meeting between South African president Thabo Mbeki and the presidential commercial agriculture working group.
The government has also agreed to put a long-term drought strategy in place to help farmers, conceding that some land reform projects have not been successful. Skills were not transferred to emerging farmers and there was little investment. Now there is a plan to involve commercial farmers in what is called a special purpose vehicle to speed up land reform.
Meanwhile, Agri SA has called for the bio-fuels strategy to get off the ground. Maize and sugar cane will be used to produce bio-fuels. Three million hectares of commercial land has been identified to produce bio-fuels. South Africa also plans to draw in its SADC neighbours to produce this alternative to petrol.
SABC
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May 20, 2007
South Africa agriculture policy to address land reform, drought, biofuels
Categories biofuel, drought, land reform, South Africa
