Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism
Answered by:
Hon Ivan Meyer
Question Number:
27
Question Body:
Hon Masipa.
In relation to the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) funding being included as a Schedule 5 conditional grant in the national and provincial government budgets:
- What impact has the shift from Schedule 4 to Schedule 5 had on farmers and agri-businesses in the province;
- whether his Department is taking steps to engage with the national Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development to revert CASP to a Schedule 4 grant; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Answer Body:
- The biggest challenge is the time lag between application dates, scheduled transfer payments, and project implementation. This time lag can range anything from one (1) year to eighteen (18) months. Furthermore, due to agriculture's seasonality, some planting window periods are missed, resulting in delayed production cycles, which have an influence on business sustainability and land reform success.
- Yes, we communicate with DALRRD on quarterly basis, detailing the significant negative impact of the time lag between application and receipt of funds. It must be noted that agriculture is a biological system which interfaces with other systems and therefore timing is everything.
Date:
Friday, February 21, 2025
