Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan "Social Compact".

This Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan, relying on the full commitment and active participation of stakeholders of agricultural sector, represents a collective social compacting attempt to restructure the South African economy and address the challenges of slow growth, social inequality, unemployment and food security. The Master Plan’s vision aims at improving the agricultural sector, through equitable, inclusive, competitive, job-creating activities, at enabling greater inclusion and participation of small-scale and emerging farmers, at strengthening rural livelihoods through promotion of employment-intensive farming and agro-processing; at ensuring the safety of all people living in rural areas. Concerning the specific objectives, the Master Plan focuses on: promoting and accelerating sustainable transformation in the agriculture and agro-processing sector; improving access to local and export markets; enhancing competitiveness and entrepreneurship opportunities through technological innovation and innovative financing models; improving the safety of the farming community; enhancing resilience to the effects of climate change and promoting sustainable management of natural resources.
The Master Plan follows this structure: Part A, background and introduction, including: context, vision, strategic objectives, pillars for the programme of action, main interventions and goals, outcomes by 2030, principles of an integrated value chain and public-private partnership approach. Part B, Master Plan’s coordination and social partners’ roles, including: government’s, private sector’s and labour’s role, coordination structures. Part C, cross-cutting and value-chain interventions, including: interventions for natural resource, for human capital, for commercial enablers, for field crop and horticulture value chains, for livestock value chain, for agro-processing.
Targeted interventions concern enhancement of: farmers programmes, biosecurity control measures, agricultural research and protocols, agricultural development measures, review of legislation concerning land and water management, increase controls on food safety and food traceability, exploring ways to improve social protection of farm workers. Concerning cross-cutting interventions, the Master Plan focuses on: improving efficiency in land acquisition, promotion of secure land tenure and land rights; implementing measures to reduce carbon emissions as a contribution of agriculture and food sector to South Africa’s achievement of climate goals; expanding equitable access to water for irrigation purposes, and strengthening Water User Associations capacities in irrigation schemes management. Further interventions concern: reduction of pest and diseases outbreaks in animals and crops; utilisation of modern technologies to contain diseases outbreaks, including vaccines; measures on fruits, vegetables, nuts and wine value chain.