DAFF News

Vulnerable Workers on Farms, in Forestry and Fisheries Programme

• Call for expression for non-governmental organisations, community based organisations and other civil society organisation providing services to vulnerable workers on farms and in forestry and fisheries
• RESOLUTIONS OF THE NATIONAL SUMMIT ON VULNERABLE WORKERS IN AGRICULTURE,FORESTRY AND FISHERIES
• APPLICATION FOR FUNDING FOR PROJECTS TARGETING VULNERABLE WORKERS ON FARMS, IN FORESTRY AND FISHERIES
• A call to all non-governmental, community-based and other civil society organisations providing services to vulnerable workers on farms and in forestry and fisheries to register with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
• ‘n Beroep word gedoen op alle nie-regeringsorganisasies, gemeenskapgebaseerde en ander burgerlike gemeenskapsorganisasies wat dienste lewer aan kwesbare werkers op plase en in bosbou en visserye om te registreer by die Department van Landbou, Bosbou en Visserye
• NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS (NGOs), COMMUNITY BASED ORGANISATIONS (CBOs) AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS REGISTRATION FORM

DAFF News

Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP)

During the past two years agricultural support has been provided to land and agrarian reform projects, which contributes towards food security, job creation and poverty alleviation. Since the implementation of CASP in 2004/05, a total amount of R750 million has been allocated to this programme. Because delivery of agricultural support services is dependent on the capacity of provincial departments, we continued to direct the process of empowering the provinces with regard to planning, implementation, information dissemination and reporting.

The Micro-agricultural Financial Institutions of South Africa (Mafisa) provides access to finance for farmers, especially beneficiaries of the land restitution, redistribution and land tenure reform programmes. The Land Bank administers the credit scheme on behalf of the department and provincial departments provide assistance to access the scheme. Four development finance institutions are currently participating in the disbursement of Mafisa funds in the provinces.

Challenges experienced in implementing the scheme mainly included a lack of capacity and a lack of economic and/or financial experience at provincial departments. Intervention measures were instituted and provinces have now assigned Agricultural Economists to assist applicants with their operational plans. The process of training Credit Committees in collaboration with AgriSETA is also continuing.

During 2005/06 and 2006/07 amounts of R144 million and R196 million, respectively, were transferred from the department’s budget to the Land Bank. To date good progress has been made with providing loans and a total of 900 loans to the value of R24 million were approved by end of September 2006. Loans have been issued since January 2006 and progress is monitored on a continuous basis to fast-track implementation of the scheme.

A total of 84 agricultural farmer co-operatives have been established. These co-operatives are fully registered and linked to financial services and businesses. We facilitated the training and capacity building of all established cooperatives through accredited training institutions and colleges of agriculture.

To ensure the commercial viability of emerging farmers from a household food security level to commercial level, a farmer-to-farmer mentorship policy was approved. This policy will be piloted in four provinces on 36 projects. During 2007 a total of 36 extension officers will be trained in providing mentoring to farmers.

The agricultural marketing environment was reviewed and a report with specific recommendations to revisit the Agricultural Marketing Act will be submitted to the Minister. Good progress was also made with reviewing the agricultural trade strategy and the first draft, incorporating industry inputs, has been developed. The strategy will also incorporate the outcome of the marketing review process.

To develop a comprehensive agro-logistics strategy and an investment plan, a report on the status of agro-logistics in South Africa has been completed. The report is at present being discussed with other government departments such as Transport, Trade and Industry and public entities such as the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), Spoornet and the industry.

A total of 17 commodity-based agricultural marketing value chain profiles were produced and published. Farmers use these profiles to gain insight into the agricultural marketing structures of the different industries. In July 2006 the EFTA-Southern African Customs Union (SACU) agreements were signed for implementation in 2007. This will, however, also depend on the ratification procedures followed by the SACU partners. The trade negotiating position for free trade agreement between SACU and India has not been finalised yet because of a delay in negotiations as a result of the new government in India.

The department regards skills development as one of the critical areas for the success of ASGISA. About 800 emerging farmers received hands-on training in various fields of farm management at the Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute (GADI). Commodity-directed mentorship programmes were presented to a total of 10 000 farmers, while 2 251 farmworkers received adult basic education and training in line with the objectives of the draft transformation charter. All the participants in the programme are beneficiaries of the Agrarian and Land Reform Programme.

During 2006 several policies and strategies were developed to promote sustainable agricultural production. These include policies on animal improvement, aquaculture, wildlife ranching, range and forage, grain, vegetables, industrial and indigenous crops, ornamental plants, as well as biosafety.

Livestock farming by black emerging farmers is often characterised by overstocking and poor productivity, leading to overgrazing. The livestock development strategy was developed and is currently being implemented to address this challenge.

Production guidelines aimed at providing information to farmers, extension officers and other clients were also developed. These included guidelines for small-scale egg production, household broiler production, a management programme for a small-farm piggery, rabbit production for household use, animal traction, urban and peri-urban animal agriculture, milch goats, weaning of calves, beef cattle, veld management, fruit production, grain crops, vegetable production, industrial crops, ornamental plants and indigenous crop production.

Early warning climate advisories were issued to the agricultural sector on a monthly basis to assist farmers in managing climatic risks. An awareness campaign on broad risk and disaster management issues was also launched to create awareness on how to manage risks. A total of 62 470 farmers participated in the drought relief scheme. Altogether 52 259 of these were small-scale farmers and 10 211 commercial farmers.

DAFF News

Agricultural Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (AgriBEE)

The draft AgriBEE Charter was completed and submitted to the Minister for consideration and approval. In November 2006 the charter was discussed with the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Land Affairs. Proposed changes were incorporated in the charter and it was handed over to the Minister of Trade and Industry for gazetting.

Good progress was made during 2006 with the testing of business models with selected commodity groups and local development organisations working on the best way to integrate emerging participants into mainstream agriculture. Evaluation and monitoring systems for AgriBEE activities are being set up and implementation and monitoring interactions will be conducted at national, provincial, regional and local levels. Selected service providers will conduct training workshops on the impact and relevance of AgriBEE on local municipality delivery levels and the agricultural sector during 2007.

Implementation of AgriBEE is based on the commodity/product value chain approach and diversified through ASGISA. This approach is integral to creating linkages, partnerships and networks for balanced, mutually benefiting results for all concerned. It will ensure enhanced competitiveness and sustainable development with improvement/expansion of the existing businesses, rehabilitation of ailing agricultural business concerns and expanded entry for new businesses in the sector.

As part of the process to unlock the full entrepreneurial potential in the sector, we have also been encouraging partnerships between established agricultural enterprises and emerging farmers and entrepreneurs. The grain strategy’s implementation plan is nearing completion and the fruit industry’s commodity action plan is in the process of being developed.

To empower youth and women to contribute towards the transformation and growth of the sector, the external bursary scheme and the experiential and internship programme were established. Since the introduction of the bursary scheme in 2003, a total of R18,9 million has been invested in students studying for various degrees within the identified scarce skills categories within the agricultural sector. A total of 383 bursaries have been awarded in the past four years and a further 100 bursaries are planned for 2007/08. About 160 graduates were placed as interns within the department and agricultural commodity organisations in 2006/07. Our aim is to inspire and support theentry of youth into the agricultural sector.

DAFF News

African Agricultural Development Programme (AADP)

South Africa experienced an increased demand by African countries for technical assistance support in the field of agriculture. A technical assistance programme (TAP) called the African Agricultural Development Programme (AADP) was established as a contribution towards regional stability and the sustainable development of the economies of African countries. The TAP is considered to be an important enabler for Southern African Development Countries’ (SADC) regional development with potential long-term benefits for South Africa.

A report on intra-African agricultural trade to promote trade as part of the AADP is being finalised. The department has completed desktop studies for selected countries, which will be visited in order to supplement the information for compiling the report. Negotiation positions for ongoing negotiations within the SADC, World Trade Organisation (WTO), Southern African Customs Union (SACU), Mercosur and the TDCA review are being developed as the negotiations proceed.

Through the assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) technical co-operation support, the department has co-ordinated the development of a national medium-term investment programme (NMTIP) as a framework for implementation of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) at national level. Bankable investment project profiles have been developed to focus national efforts and actions onto specific areas of project development and funding.

During 2007 we will continue our close relationship with the FAO and the FAO Africa Regional Office to ensure our contribution to a prosperous Africa and a better world.

DAFF Youth News

Plenty of opportunities for young people

There is a critical need to support young people in disadvantaged rural areas, and LandCare provides such opportunities.

Youth in South Africa are the most targeted generation since the future of the country relies on them. LandCare as a programme has realized the need for capacitating and involving youth in the activities since the future of the natural resources lies in their capable hands. The programme has initiated the sub programmes such as the junior LandCare in and out of school and also the involvement of the young adults in the implementation of the projects in the rural communities. Training is also offered that are accredited and non accredited to the youth and those training also improved the knowledge and the ability to work as young people and also to encourage youth to take part in agriculture as a whole. The main aim of involving young people in the projects is to encourage them to be young agricultural entrepreneurs since they have a raw deal in the labour market and the financial crisis and it’s under math has unusual big effects on their livelihood.

Junior LandCare is part of the LandCare programme themes designed to empower the South African youth particularly disadvantaged youth in rural areas. Junior LandCare seeks to address issues of youth unemployment, skills development, school nutrition and environmental Education. It is divided in to two legs which are Junior LandCare in-school and Junior LandCare out of school.

HOW JUNIOR LANDCARE CAN HELP OUT OF SCHOOL SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH?

In the financial year 2012/13 the LandCare Programme through junior LandCare has managed to create 1211 number of jobs for the youth of South Africa especially in rural areas trough the implementation of different labour intensive LandCare Projects such as gabion construction, wetland rehabilitation, Fencing construction, invasive alien species removal and construction of water reticulation points in the Provinces. Junior LandCare also managed to transfer skills to 12280 number of youth through different trainings such as chain saw operation, gabion structure construction, project management, financial management , health and safety and many others conducted by credible service providers in a project level. These trainings have help a number of young people to secure jobs and some of them have become services providers in different departments.

HOW JUNIOR LANDCARE CAN HELP IN- SCHOOL SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH?

Junior LandCare has managed to create 100 number of school gardens and provide jojo tanks and water reticulation points in South African school, to help school to deal with problems of kind’s malnutrition and to assist the school feeding scheem. Most of school particularly in rural areas have managed to assist poor kids by providing them with vegetable to cook at home and buy school uniform for poor kids by money acquired through the sale of vegetable to the community. Junior LandCare also contributes to youth in-school by taking them to different camps to learn about environmental issues and how they can change or contribute positively to their own environment. This also encourages young people to take initiatives about issues that affect and to take a lead.

HOW CAN I BE PART OF JUNIOR LANDCARE?

Junior LandCare it based on volunteerism, where youth can come together and identify project need in their community that is based on natural resource management and through the help of the provincial LandCare coordinators develop a business plan, requesting financial assistant from the LandCare secretariat in the Department Of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

CONTACT DETAILS:

Director: Land use and Soil management

Tell: 012 319 7685

E-maiL:DLUSM@daff.gov.za

SA News

Doctor Khumalo Youth Upliftment Through Sports

DOCTOR KHUMALO YOUTH UPLIFTMENT ACADEMY will recruit and train players from disadvantaged backgrounds but also develop the players other skills through education and a variety of training and community initiatives. The provision of proper resources for children to play is essential in creating opportunities for children’s holistic development. Coupled with training programmes for educators and community members who help to teach and support the development of children through play, we can immediately start to minimize the vulnerability of children.

Providing the basis of sports for development, and examining how the introduction of extensive community development in the rural and previously disadvantage communities can positively affect the development of sports, and help establish more poverty alleviation programs. Examine how the introduction of sports development and awareness, preservation and education and established partnerships amongst; communities, NGO’s, Government, Schools, Traditional Leaders, Businesses, Institutions and Individual on grassroots level, can bring sustainability to platforms for information sharing, exchange programs, ongoing youth development projects and partnership campaigns, can assist in the sustainable community and economic development for our continent Africa through the development of sports.

OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE is to use sport as a vehicle for the development of social skills, academic support, building self-esteem and a sense of teaming amongst high school learners from marginalised communities in South Africa.

Sports development officers aim to provide opportunities for participation in sport for all sections of the community. They distribute information and organise sport-related projects, classes, programmes, coaching, club development and training. They target those who want to take part for fun as well as those who are interested in competing at all levels, from local to national and international.

For more information you contact  MARKETING MANAGER / COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Lisa Viola - +27 84 571 7141  OR e-mail: lisa@healingafricafoundation.org

SA News

 National Youth Development Agency

The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) is a South African-based agency established primarily to tackle challenges that the nation’s youth are faced with. 

The NYDA was established by an Act of parliament, Act no 54 of 2008. The institution was established to be a single, unitary structure, established to address youth development issues at National, Provincial and Local government level. 

The existence of the NYDA should be located within the broad context of South Africa’s development dynamics. Similar to many developing countries, South Africa has a large population of youth, those between the ages 14-35 represent 42% of the total population. Given the youthful nature of the South African population much of the socio-economic challenges faced by the nation, i.e. poverty, inequality and joblessness, poor health, etc, are borne by the youth. The gravity of challenges South Africa is faced with, require multi-pronged efforts, that simultaneously promote the development of sustainable livelihoods, reduce poverty, inequality and prioritise the development of policies which create an enabling environment for youth development.

The NYDA plays a leading role in ensuring that all major stakeholder’s, i.e government, the private sector and civil society, prioritise youth development and contribute towards identifying and implementing lasting solutions which address youth development challenges.

 

Furthermore, the NYDA designs and implements programmes aimed at improving the lives and opportunities available to youth. These programmes could be clustered as follows:

At an individual level (Micro level), the NYDA provides direct services to youth in the form of information-provision, career guidance services, mentorship, skills development and training, entrepreneurial development and support, health awareness programmes and involvement in sport.

At a Community level (Meso Level), the NYDA encourages young people to be catalysts for change in their communities through involvement in community development activities, social cohesion activities, national youth service programmes and dialogues.

At a Provincial and National level (Macro Level), through its policy development, partnerships and research programmes, the NYDA facilitates the participation of youth in developing key policy inputs which shape the socio-economic landscape of South Africa.

 

The National Youth Development Agency derives its mandate from legislative frameworks such as the NYDA Act (54 of 2008), the National Youth Policy (2009-2014) and the draft Integrated Youth Development Strategy as adopted by the Youth Convention of 2006. The NYDA activities could be summarised as follows:

a) Lobby and advocate for integration and mainstreaming of youth development in all spheres of government, private sector and civil society

b) Initiate, implement, facilitate and co-ordinate youth development programmes

c) Monitor and evaluate youth development interventions across the board and Mobilise youth for active participation in civil society engagements

 

VISION

 

To be a Credible and Capable Development Agency for South Africa's Youth

 

MISSION

• To Mainstream youth issues into society and
• To facilitate youth development with all sectors of society

VALUES

• Excellence
• Respect
• Integrity and Honesty
• Care
• Punctuality and timeliness

 

NYDA’s New Focus

The National Youth Development Agency has shifted its core business primarily away from Enterprise Finance towards Education and Skills Development. The fundamental change in this area of development is the change from loan provision to grant provision for young entrepreneurs. The NYDA no longer offers loan finance to young entrepreneurs, but instead grant finance in the form of micro-finance grants for survivalist youth entrepreneurship and co-operative grants for greater participation of youth in the co-operatives sector.

 

The objective of the Grant Programme is to provide young entrepreneurs an opportunity to access both the financial and non-financial business development support to establish their survivalist businesses. The programme focusses on youth entrepreneurs who are just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential but are not yet fully developed. The grant finance starts from R1 000 to a maximum of R100 000 for any individual or youth co-operative. For more information on this click here.

 

The new plan of the NYDA therefore focusses on tailor-made interventions for job preparedness and placement, a focus on scholarship provision for those who excel in schools, the scaling up of the YouthBuild Programme for out-of-school youth, the increase of second chance opportunities for matriculants and the intensification of our highly successful career guidance programme. The NYDA continues with efforts directed at economic participation offering a range of products, programmes and services to young entrepreneurs in need, albeit as a secondary focus.