Farmers fume over plan

SAAI: NO INVITES TO MEETING AS MASTER DOCCIE IS SIGNED WITHOUT THEM

- Marizka Coetzer

NO ANSWERS. Farmers want clarity on the term 'transformation', which appears 92 times in the master plan that is now signed and sealed without their input. Picture: iStock

(iStock)

Farmers are fuming about the Agricultural and Agro-processing Master Plan (Aamp) that was signed behind their backs and without any of their submissions and concerns being considered.

Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai) chair Theo de Jager said Aamp was a master plan “without farmers”, adding there was nothing in that plan to excite primary producers.

“Their principal objection is that profitability, sustainability, and value-chain efficiency are not meaningfully addressed in the Aamp text.

“Transformation can never be more important than profitability or sustainability. When transformation is elevated above sustainability, you get Eskom’s load-shedding era, or the current state of public health care.