Agriculture, Economic Development amd Tourism
Answered by:
Hon Ivan Meyer
Question Number:
8
Question Body:
Question by Brendon Adams.
- (a) Which specific (i) programmes and (ii) resources are currently available to small and emerging farmers in Stellenbosch and (b) how many farmers have benefited from them in the 2025/26 financial year;
- how does his Department evaluate the effectiveness of the support provided to small farmers in this area?
Answer Body:
- (a) (i) The Department currently provides support initiatives and interventions which include, amongst others, agricultural production inputs and supplies, agricultural infrastructure, and advisory services to farmers; (ii) resources include CASP grant funding to qualifying businesses, as well as direct access to the Department’s full range of services, including agricultural advisers.
(b) In the 2025/26 financial year, a total of 57 farmers in the Stellenbosch district benefited from the Department’s support programmes, comprising 51 Household Producers and 6 Subsistence Producers.
(2) The effectiveness of the support to projects is independently evaluated by external service providers on a regular basis. Furthermore, all projects are subject to continuous monitoring and evaluation. This is undertaken through the National Department of Agriculture’s Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) unit, complemented by internal M&E processes, oversight visits conducted by departmental Extension Officials and Advisors, as well as reviews performed by Internal Audit.
Date:
Thursday, May 7, 2026
