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Industry leaders has welcomed the new policy direction outlined in the 2025/26 Budget Vote speech by the minister of agriculture and welcomed the strategic shift toward a more focussed and practical agricultural policy framework.
Gary Arnold, chairperson of the South African Poultry Association (SAPA), said the minister’s progressive stance on policy and regulations was highly welcomed. “Biosecurity is the buzzword of the day, and it’s clear the minister has been listening to what the industry has been telling him.”
Arnold noted that while vaccination could play a vital role in combating disease outbreaks, it is simply another tool to address the threat these outbreaks pose to the economic viability of production units and food security. “The department is often criticised by politicians for how it handles disease outbreaks, yet not enough credit is given for the amount of work they are putting in to resolve this crisis and rebuild capacity.”
Dr Tobias Doyer, CEO of Grain SA agreed with Arnold. “We are particularly encouraged by the minister’s prioritisation of biosecurity as a national imperative. Grain SA has long advocated for enhanced disease surveillance and coordinated outbreak responses, not only to safeguard local production but also to secure and expand critical export markets. It is important to note that livestock biosecurity has a direct bearing on the grain and oilseeds sector, given the livestock industry’s role as a major consumer of feed inputs.”
Dr Frikkie Maré, CEO of the National Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (National RPO) said while the Budget Vote speech sounded good in theory, the proof would be in figures. “Only once we see what the budget allocation is will we have a clearer idea how it will be implemented.” Additionally, one should keep in mind that it’s not just about allocations, but also about outcomes, Dr Maré added.
A practical budget
Minister John Steenhuisen’s 2025 Budget Vote speech for the National Department of Agriculture (NDA) focussed strongly on localised support for the agricultural sector through the revival of extension services, improving infrastructure, and market access as well as improving biosecurity on a local level. “I reaffirm our commitment to an agricultural sector that is inclusive, competitive, climate-resilient and, above all, locally responsive,” Steenhuisen said.
The department’s 2025/26 budget is mainly aimed at four core programmes:
- Administration: Building a capable, ethical, and performance-driven department.
- Agricultural production, biosecurity, and natural resources management: Strengthening plant and animal health, and improving climate resilience.
- Food security and support: Promoting household food production, nutrition, and targeted support.
- Economic development, trade and marketing: Expanding access to local and global markets and supporting inclusive growth.
“What matters most is not how we spend, but what we deliver. And that depends on coordination across different spheres of government,” Steenhuisen said.
Rooted in ruralness
The minister said it is critical to remember that South Africa’s agricultural potential resides in the rural regions of the provinces. “It resides in the citrus orchards of Limpopo and Eastern Cape, in the maize fields of Free State and North West, in the livestock corridors of Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, in the wine and fruit valleys of Western Cape, and in the peri-urban farming belts of Gauteng and Mpumalanga.”
However, he highlighted the disparity between different areas. “Infrastructure is decaying in rural municipalities. Extension support is thin. Input costs are high. And many small-scale farmers – particularly women, youth and people with disabilities – still lack secure tenure, access to markets, and real support,” Steenhuisen said, adding that the budget was designed to close those gaps.
Steenhuisen said there are four critical priorities that would require full provincial and local partnerships.
Improved localised biosecurity
The first is to strengthen biosecurity at district level. “Biosecurity is now a national priority – but it must be implemented provincially,” Steenhuisen said. “The outbreaks of avian influenza and FMD taught us hard lessons.”
To improve biosecurity the department committed to:
- Deploying 50 animal health technicians to high-risk provinces.
- Supporting vaccine roll-out in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Limpopo.
- Strengthening provincial laboratories and border inspection posts.
- Enhancing disease surveillance through the national biosecurity hub in collaboration with the University of Pretoria.
Greater food security
Food security and household resilience is another priority. “This is not only about production, but also about dignity,” Steenhuisen said. Therefore, the department plans to work with provinces to improve school gardens, community food hubs, and home food units. “Our 2024–2029 National Food and Nutrition Security Plan is being rolled out jointly with the Departments of Health, Basic education, and Social development.”
Steenhuisen said they were also promoting the cultivation of indigenous crops like amaranth and other African leafy vegetables, because food sovereignty is also cultural sovereignty.
Reviving farmer support and extension services
“We are aligning all 11 agricultural colleges with the national higher education system to turn them into centres of excellence,” Steenhuisen said, adding that their internship programme has already placed over 3 000 agricultural graduates, including in provincial departments. “We have also just launched an Extension Week, focussed on rebuilding technical support at farmgate level.”
Market access and local infrastructure
Another key issue addressed in the budget vote was market access. “We are finalising a revamped market access strategy and expanding blended finance access for smallholders, with dedicated youth and climate-smart financing windows,” Steenhuisen said.
However, Steenhuisen highlighted that a critical part of the strategy would be for logistical systems outside of the department to be functional. Roads, cold storage, and local packhouses do not fall in the department’s mandate. “We need provinces and municipalities to prioritise agri-logistics in their infrastructure plans. The economic future of rural towns depends on it.”
Governance and performance monitoring
“No matter how well we plan, delivery happens where governance is strong,” Steenhuisen said, before introducing a new ministerial oversight framework that will align with the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP), create room for biannual performance and audit reviews across all entities, and enforce consequence management and ethical compliance.
“Institutions like the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP), National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), and Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) must deliver on their mandates. This is not optional,” Steenhuisen said. – Susan Marais, Plaas Media
