Agriculture
With reference to his Department’s decision to establish a Climate Change Unit:
(1) What are the unit’s (a) operations and (b) responsibilities;
(2) whether any progress has been made with its mandate to date; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3)(a) what metrics are used to evaluate the unit’s performance and (b)(i) what is the unit’s budget allocation and (ii) to whom does the unit report?
(1) The effect of climate change on the agricultural sector is one of the major determinants of the sustainability and competitiveness of farmers, irrespective of the size of the farming operation. The SmartAgri plan, completed in 2016 by the Department in collaboration with DEA&DP, serves as the roadmap for the sector and the department in adapting to, and mitigating, the challenges of climate change. The diagnostic, design and implementation evaluation of the SmartAgri plan was concluded in 2020/2021 and seven high level recommendations emanated from the evaluation.
In a strategic decision to respond to the risk of climate change in the Department and sector, the post of risk assessment scientist (incumbent retired) was re-designed to include strategic key performance areas on climate change and the new post of Climate Change and Risk Assessment Scientist was advertised in 2020 and the incumbent, the well-known climate change expert in agriculture, Prof Stephanie Midgley, commenced her duties on the 1st of January 2021. She developed a comprehensive Management Improvement Plan (MIP) based on the seven high level recommendations emanating from the evaluation. This will set the agenda for the upgrading of the SmartAgri plan with the latest scientific information and the deeper implementation thereof, both on departmental and sector level.
One of the identified gaps from the evaluation was the lack of institutional capacity to implement the plan and its actions, as well as the need for an oversight structure in this regard. Based on the provincial policy imperative of climate change, the need for a climate change unit to be established in the programme Research and Technology Development Services is critical as this unit will lead the Department and work transversally across all departmental programmes to embed climate change in its service delivery agendas. One existing scientist post has been redesigned (that of Prof Midgley) and five more posts (3 scientists, a research assistant and data technologist) will be needed to give full effect to the Management Improvement Plan (MIP) and support the deep implementation of the plan within the Department and the agricultural sector. One of the scientist posts will be filled from a vacant funded post within the programme (re-allocation), whilst the remaining four posts will be phased in over the next number of years, depending on budget availability. The development of the unit will have to be subjected to an organisational design process before finalising the remaining posts.
(2) Since she has started on the 1st of January 2021, Prof. Midgley has developed a comprehensive Management Improvement Plan (MIP) and has actioned several of the recommendations. Herewith some additional actions implemented (More details on the actions of the MIP are available on request):
- Constituted the new SmartAgri Steering Committee to drive the deeper implementation of the SmartAgri plan and the MIP recommendations. Members of the committee are from departmental programmes and DEA&DP.
- Commenced with the planning of a climate change unit in the Department.
- Fostered linkages at all levels to deepen the focus on Climate Smart Agriculture.
- Prof Midgley as session leader and several departmental officials from different programmes presented a special session at the 56th Annual Congress of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa (27 – 29 July 2021), with the title “drought related issues, specifically for the Karoo and Oudtshoorn regions with a focus on extensive livestock and game farming”.
- Prof. Midgley engaged all departmental programmes to discuss their alignment to the SmartAgri plan and its actions.
- Good progress is being made by the service provider appointed to update the climate data of the SmartAgri plan and this should be concluded by end of November 2021.
- Several radio and TV interviews on climate change were done and an above normal output in terms of technology transfer outputs were made.
- An informative flyer for smart agri-workers was developed and is available online, as well as in hard copy in the three languages of the Western Cape. This was after the need was identified during sessions with the Programme Rural Development.
- Published two SmartAgri e-newsletters (SmartAgri Barometer) which were disseminated to more than 800 stakeholders.
(3) As indicated above, the unit is not fully functional and in a planning stage with Prof Midgley driving the actions. It is hoped that the second post can be filled in 2022/2023 subject to funding. A very limited operational budget is available, and more funding is urgently required. Prof Midgley report to the Chief Director: Research and Technology Development Services, within the GIS unit of the Sub-programme Agricultural Research.
