North West Farmers and residents have welcomed the Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land Bill during the public hearings conducted in Klerksdorp by Members of Parliament, saying the bill will address a number of challenges faced by the sector.
A game farmer Richard York said the bill will help more farmers to create much-needed jobs and that the bill was a positive move because it recognises that land must be used for optimum production and it must ensure growth in terms of job creation and economic stimulation.
“We see huge potential for this bill on a local scale , provided that it gets the recognition that’s needed”.
A young crop farmer Thebe Kadinyane said it will help young people access land but local mines should release land for people to expand their farming operations..
“We need local mines to give us land, we are limited and work in the backyard. I believe his bill is going to help us as young farmers to access more land,” he said.
While Thabiso Medupi an aspiring farmer was critical of the bill saying there isn’t enough land because foreigners took the land and shared it among themselves.
“The problem is that where are we going to get the land, because our brothers and sisters from overseas took the land and shared it among themselves, they have created a small space of location where they located the people and the land as big as it is they allocated it to themselves”.
Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform Mandla Mandela said what residents of the North West had in common was the need for land.
“Lots of people were speaking about having access to agricultural land. Through mining, housing, and illegal land evasion, agricultural land has rapidly been eroded and with the limited land that is available, we are seeking through this preservation and development of agricultural land to make sure that we protect and secure land so that we can come up with sustainable programmes and food security.
The bill is anticipated to among others, provide principles for the management of agricultural land.
