Question NW291 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
11 April 2024 - NW291
Masipa, Mr NP to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
(1)Whether she will furnish Mr N P Masipa with a comprehensive report regarding farms owned by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) in each province, including details of the farms (a) currently utilised for research purposes and (b) leased to small-scale farmers from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2023; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) what is the latest update on farms that have been invaded and vandalised including the (a) actions taken by her department to address the issue of invaded farms, (b) number of evictions that have been carried out on invaded farms and (c) strategies that are in place for farms that are not actively engaged in research and are lying fallow; (3) what are the details of the individuals who are responsible for overseeing the activities of the research farms; (4) whether any accountability measures are in place; if not, why not; if so, what are the details of the actions taken to address underutilisation and invasion of some of the ARC farms?
Reply:
(1)(a) Yes. Annexure A contains an inventory of all farms owned by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), which are linked to specific research campuses.
(b) ARC has implemented a new strategy that involves professional property management agents to better manage its properties and agricultural land portfolio. This approach aims to cater to small-scale farmers by providing them with leasing opportunities.
(2) Since 2013, some ARC farms have been illegally occupied, starting with Umthiza farm in East London.
(a) The Legal Services Department, Facilities and Security Services, the Sheriff’s Office, and local courts worked together to evict the illegal occupiers.
(b) Evictions have also been carried out on the following farms:
- Kaalplaas – Soshanguve in August 2017;
- Umthiza again in September 2019; and
- Kaalplaas – N4 in June 2020.
Evictions were carried out via Court Eviction Orders with support from the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Sheriff.
(c) ARC is actively monitoring for potential invasions and taking preventative measures to address them before requiring legal intervention.
(3) Research farms are linked to research institutes of the ARC that prioritize research activities. The Infrastructure Division supports certain aspects of managing the research farms.
(4) Yes. ARC has developed a property management strategy to optimize the use and management of its properties and research farms. A significant initiative within this framework involves engaging a professional property agent to enhance the efficient management of ARC properties and research farms. This includes tasks such as advertising unused ARC properties and research farms. Additionally, any underutilized properties that cannot be leased out will be presented to the Minister for consideration and/or transfer to the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD).