Western Cape Agriculture Budget 2021 - "A budget to support economic recovery"

Today I tabled the Western Cape Agriculture Budget 2021 in the Provincial Parliament.

I announced a total budget of R909.086 million.

This budget facilitates the critical role that the Agricultural Sector plays to drive the economy and create jobs in the Western Cape.

We have allocated

R122.724m to Sustainable Resource Use and Management                          

R274.986m to Agricultural Producer Support and Development                    

R97.093m to Veterinary Services

R141.115m to Research and Technology Development Services                  

R46.971m to Agricultural and Economic Services                                                         

R57.393m to Agricultural Education and Training and

R28.958 to Rural Development                                                                             

To support the Western Cape Recovery Plan

• I will be launching an   Agri-processing On Wheels Project later this year. 
• The Western Cape will be commissioning a Chemical Residue Testing facility at our Provincial Veterinary Laboratory to support market access.
• The Western Cape Department of Agriculture will implement a further 1 800 household gardens in impoverished communities across the Province to enhance household food security.
• The Department will continue with the commodity approach as a strategy for farmer support in the Province. We will implement 105 agricultural projects (smallholder and commercial) to the amount of R 104,028m and thus, facilitating the creation of 466 permanent and 1 097 seasonal jobs.
• The Western Cape Department of Agriculture has established a Rural Safety Desk.
• During the 2021/22 financial year a total of R7, 8 million will be allocated to the erection of fences.
• The Western Cape Department of Agriculture will implement the SmartAgri Management Improvement Plan in 2021 to enhance the sector’s drought resilience.
• The Department will offer drone training for farmers in the Western Cape.

The above interventions embody my five Ministerial Priorities – Structured Education Training and Research, Market Access, Rural Safety, Farmer Support and Development and Climate Change.

These five priorities aim to facilitate the Western Cape Government’s stated objectives of safety, jobs, and well-being of the Western Cape citizens.

Agriculture is ready to play its role in the economic recovery of the Western Cape.

Read Minister Ivan Meyer’s full speech here:  https://www.elsenburg.com/news/budget-2021-vote-11