Government should reopen the COVID-19 Agriculture Relief fund applications. This is according to Thandeka Mbabama, the Democratic Alliance Deputy Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.
The DA’s call comes in light of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development feedback that only 15 371 out of 54 770 applications met the criteria to qualify for the initial funding.
It seems utterly implausible that only 28% of small scale and subsistence farmers could qualify for relief aid.
The Party has called on the Minister of Agriculture, Thoko Didiza to see reason and reopen the application process to farmers who were not successful during the initial application window.
According to the DA, the farmers are once again left to fend for themselves after hardships they faced in recent past.
The Agricultural sector has had a lot of misfortune in recent years. Droughts and disease have sown destruction on farms of all scales. Every promise of relief then was broken, and it seems like the Department is once again singing the same old song.
The Party is arguing that since much of the Country’s food security is in the hands of medium scale farmers with a turnover of up to R100 million per year, the Agriculture Department should allow these farmers to apply for funding.