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21 February 2008

Programme director
Executive Mayors of Capricorn and Sekhukhune District Municipalities, Councillors, Motalane Monakedi and Namane Masemola
Mayors of local municipalities present
Members of Limpopo Agricultural Advisory Forum (LAAF) present
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Limpopo and staff Chief Executive
Officer of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and your entourage
Traditional leaders
Member of the Board of Trustees of the IDC Nguni Cattle Development Project
President of the Nguni Cattle Breeders Society, Mr Dion Richter
Representatives of the Northern Nguni Club, Mrs Marlee Stegman
Farmers
Officials
Ladies and gentlemen

It is a pleasure to be at the University of Limpopo once more where the African National Congress (ANC) held its 52nd National Conference in December last year. The 52nd conference of the ANC took a number of resolutions which are supposed to be implemented by government departments. On rural development, land reform and agrarian change, the conference resolved as follows: To build a stronger state capacity and devote greater resources to the challenges of rural development, land reform and agrarian change in particular to:

* create an over-arching authority with the resources and authority to drive and co-ordinate an integrated programme of rural development, land reform and agrarian change
* implement the Freedom Charter's call to help those working the land with implements, seed, tractors, infrastructure for irrigation and other forms of material support.

For us as the Limpopo Department of Agriculture, these resolutions are the marching orders that will guide us as we grapple with agrarian reform and assist our farmers become better farmers and best placed to compete in the agricultural markets both nationally and internationally.

The tripartite arrangement amongst the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), University of Limpopo (UL) and Limpopo Department of Agriculture (LDA) is beginning to bear fruit and working towards achieving the resolutions of the ANC conference. We indeed need to encourage collaborations of this nature to strengthen our relationships and friendships for the benefit of our clients, the farmers and agrarian reform in our province. More so that we have a task on hand to grow this country economically by making a contribution towards reducing hunger, poverty and fight joblessness.

Our quest as government is to continue on the path to transform our country and the farming sector into a non-racial, non-sexist society with equal opportunities for all. Today's event has the characteristics of transformation because it assists smallholder farmers who are the beneficiaries of this project to be elevated to a status of Stud Nguni cattle farmers and to contribute immensely to the national development agenda of our country and the agricultural sector.

Programme director, throughout the years of democratic governance, we have also put in place legislative support and empowerment mechanisms such as Agricultural Black Economic Empowerment (AgriBEE) to allow blacks to enter the business of farming and become role players in the agricultural economy. Of importance to this policy is the support to black agribusiness entrepreneurs and the industrialisation of the sector in such a way that it continues being a strong pillar for economic development in our rural province. This can only be realised if projects of this nature are established and get support from commercial farmers to create entrepreneurs in the livestock sector.

Today's event is also a celebration of the handing over of Nguni cattle to the identified beneficiaries. Nguni cattle historically were developed and kept by black farmers as indigenous livestock tried and tested overtime by our people. The bantustan era implemented policies and programmes that did not recognise the value of indigenous breeds and indigenous knowledge. Foreign breeds were introduced as improved and better breeds and our own breeds were viewed as animals of inferior quality. Extension officers were sent out to campaign against indigenous breeds calling them "mongrels, scrubs" and so on.

Later scientists discovered what our forefathers knew all along, that Nguni cattle are a hardy breed of high quality that is adaptable to extreme climatic conditions. These animals are highly adaptable to harsh environment of our country and have shown resistance to ticks and diseases. The unfortunate part of it is that most Nguni cattle are now in the hands of commercial farmers who acquired them from our people at a fraction of their value. The indigenous owners of the Nguni breed are now spectators and are at the mercy of commercial farmers to acquire the best Nguni gene pool. It is for this reason that this project was introduced to assist in the reintroduction of the Nguni cattle among the black farmers and into the black community.

Programme director, I would like to commend the Nguni Cattle Breeders Society and the Northern Nguni Club for offering their assistance in ensuring the supply of top quality breeding materials and to provide guidance, advise, training and mentorship to the recipients of these cattle. Interest shown by everyone who realised the value and importance of Nguni cattle and its products is overwhelming. The demand for Nguni breeding materials is very high, the Nguni Club and the Nguni Society might have chosen to sell their livestock in the open market but choose instead to support the development of emerging farmers.

In a small way the Limpopo Department of Agriculture (LDA) is contributing to the development of the breed by selling Nguni animals from our research stations to emerging and small scale farmer at a subsidised price. However these are not registered animals but can be upgraded by introducing good bulls to them. This is just the beginning, let us nature this good relationship, for it to grow from strength to strength so that it serves as an example for the whole country.

Programme director; allow me to convey this message to the recipients of the Nguni cattle. You have been made aware that these cattle are loaned to you and have entered into a legal contract. Payment will be in the form of returning one offspring for each animal loaned to ensure continuity of the programme. You must treat these animals as yours and manage them according to the guidance given to you. Neglect of these animals may lead to us being forced to recall the animals, believe me, this is not an empty threat.

On many occasions, beneficiaries of projects tend to neglect their projects because they assume that the project belongs to government or somebody else. Numerous projects collapsed because of this kind of attitude. I, however, have a strong belief that this project will make a difference and be counted with those that are making a success and used as best practice model for the province and other provinces will learn from us.

Programme director, one of the challenges facing aspirant livestock farmers is access and availability of land particularly in communal areas to accommodate projects of this nature. The cattle involved in this business are stud animals which should be managed as stud animals and should not freely mix with other animals. This project is now benefiting Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD), restitution beneficiaries and individuals who have their own land. I appeal to traditional leaders and their community based organisations to consider requests for projects of this nature where farmers are able to control their breeding programmes.

Programme director, one of the challenges that also need to be taken up this collective gathered here today is to change the negative career image agriculture has among the youth. An impression is created among the youth of today that agriculture is non-profitable and only suitable for the elderly. The other challenge that confronts the youth on a daily basis is the lack of information on agriculture as a career including knowledge on the broad agricultural sector and what it can offer. I am convinced that the products of this project will send a message home that there is a future and jobs in farming with Nguni cattle.

Central to these issues is the need to recruit into and change the attitudes of many of our young people about mathematics, science and technology. Failure to attain the requisite levels of literacy in these critical subject areas may prevent many of our youth from assuming full responsibility and participation in the development of our nation's economy through, amongst other sectors, agriculture.

To the IDC, I hope this project will unlock more opportunities even for other projects or commodities to enhance the "business unusual approach" directed by our State President, Thabo Mbeki. May you, Chief Executive Officer, please convey our gratitude to the Board of Directors of the IDC for this important and immense contribution that made it possible to acquire the breeding materials in support of the agrarian revolution that we are engaged in.

Our gratitude to the University of Limpopo for offering the facilities to house and prepare the animals before distribution and accepting the responsibility to handle the finances of the project and to assume overall leadership of the project. Your expertise and preparedness to invest time and knowledge for the benefit of emerging farmers is highly appreciated. Programme director, my department will continue to support farmers in all categories.

Pula. Halala Nguni cattle halala!

Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Limpopo Provincial Government
21 February 2008