I wasn’t planning to write much about the Eastern Cape’s agriculture but the excellent rains the province has been receiving have prompted me to say something about its potential agricultural fortunes.
Some observers often view the Eastern Cape’s economy through the lens of its auto industry, among other sectors.
However, the province does well in agriculture — in various commodities, including dairy, wool, sheep farming and citrus.
The Eastern Cape is also making encouraging inroads in boosting new entrant farmers’ output in wool and soon, hopefully, in other value chains.
The endeavours for inclusive growth require a collaborative effort between the government and the private sector.
But the broad issues that require the attention of the leadership of the province involve improvement of land governance, investment in agricultural infrastructure such as silos and roads, revitalising irrigation infrastructure, addressing the inefficient local government service delivery for agribusinesses in various towns and rising crime, among other challenges.
Such efforts must be inclusive and not leave the former homelands region of the Eastern Cape behind, as has been the case in the first three decades of our democracy.
Though SA’s agriculture has more than doubled in value and volume since 1994, the former homelands of the Eastern Cape are left behind and occupy the periphery of agricultural progress.
This reality hits you when you drive from the southern parts of KwaZulu-Natal to the northern parts of the Transkei.
The more established commercial farming parts in some regions of KwaZulu-Natal blossom with green pastures and bountiful crop farming.
In contrast, the parts that fell under the homeland system are fallow even though they are sitting on arable land and a potential source of wealth.
This dualism can be witnessed across the country and does not bode well for the future of agriculture in SA.
The government’s interventions to prioritise agriculture in the past two decades have not led to meaningful improvement of the agricultural economy in the former homelands, especially in the Eastern Cape’s Transkei region.
Whenever I drive through Flagstaff, Lusikisiki and Port Saint Johns, I cannot escape the searing images of neglect of agriculture, which stands in stark contrast to premier Oscar Mabuyane’s rhetoric, which often trumpets agriculture as the cornerstone of his provincial growth strategy.
The reality tells a different story — that of neglect, lack of serious commitment to rural development and failure to hold those who undermine his strategy to account.
The traditional leaders who wield significant influence in villages also bear significant responsibility for neglecting agriculture.
The political leadership of the Eastern Cape must realise that the province has great potential in agriculture and agritourism.
To unlock this potential, the provincial government and municipalities must do their part in improving roads, access to water and water infrastructure, as well as addressing crime and issues that require the intervention of the national agriculture department.
I have recently discussed what the new leaders in the department must consider in their policies, which would be beneficial to the Eastern Cape.
However, for a more comprehensive discussion, I outline the critical interventions that can unlock the Eastern Cape’s agricultural possibilities in my latest book, A Country of Two Agricultures.
• Wandile Sihlobo is an agricultural economist.
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