Commercialisation of Agricultural Research Council under way, says Steenhuisen
In a parliamentary question, EFF MP Mothusi Montwedi asked whether there was a plan to ensure the ARC was supported to build internal capacity for its commercialisation. Montwedi also asked if this commercialisation drive would allow the ARC to supply seeds and develop fertiliser for the market.
In a written reply, Steenhuisen said the agriculture department valued the ARC as a strategic asset, especially in the agricultural industry, and the many strategies of the department have ensured its successful commercialisation.
'A service level agreement between the department and the ARC is entered into to ensure all agricultural research services for which the ARC has the capacity to render are rendered in compliance with the constitution. This [agreement] helps the ARC generate about R900m in revenue,' he said.
The department approved the restructuring of the ARC to ensure efficiency and alignment with agricultural business realities.
'The process of establishing the ARC's commercial entity is under way. Once established, the commercial entity will enable the ARC to maximise returns from its intellectual property. This includes competing with other players in the agricultural business.'
Steenhuisen said the restructuring was almost complete and would ensure all vacancies are filled, critical infrastructure refurbished and agricultural enterprises operated profitably.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
South Africa's proactive approach to finding new trade partners as US tariffs loom
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen says the country was working on minimising the impact of the looming US 30% tariff hike on its exports. Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers South Africa is quickly expanding its global trade partners as a solution to the United States of America's 30% tariff on its exports, said Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen. Steenhuisen made the statement as the US tariff increase on South Africa is expected to come into effect on August 1. 'The real solution lies not just in playing defence, but in going on the offensive. This is why we are doubling down on market access expansion,' said Steenhuisen, who is the leader of the DA in the Government of National Unity. The tariff deadline will come as the country waits for the outcome of the proposed US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025, which seeks to impose sanctions against some ANC leaders accused of, among others, supporting China, Russia, and Iran, and mismanaging state resources. Delivering a keynote address at the RSA Group Stakeholder Dinner in Muldersdrift outside Johannesburg on Thursday, Steenhuisen said his department was reaching out to other countries looking for markets to sell the country's agricultural products. He called on the country not to waste time by being overly reliant, but to be productive. He said the country was already strengthening its trade alliances with the likes of Chile, Peru, and New Zealand 'to jointly lobby for fair and stable trade treatment of fresh produce' through the Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters. 'Over the past six months alone, we have finalised new phytosanitary protocols for the export of avocados to China; table grapes to Vietnam and the Philippines; and maize to India,' he said. Steenhuisen said there were trade negotiations with Indonesia, Thailand, and Bangladesh. 'Our goal is simple — to ensure that no South African fruit producer is ever left dependent on the goodwill of a single trading partner.' He said the country was also strengthening its plant health systems, expanding traceability capabilities, and digitising its export certification platforms to align with the European Union's Green Deal and Asia's growing demand for sustainability-linked imports as part of 'investments that are not just defensive; they are the launchpad for new growth'. He said the country's agriculture has always been one of ingenuity, grit, and partnership. 'We have overcome political transitions, trade embargoes, droughts, pandemics, and port crises. We will overcome these current headwinds (tariff increase) too,' he said. Steenhuisen said that to avert the effects of new tariffs more quickly and effectively, the country must be united and pull together. 'My department is open for business, open for reform, and open for ideas,' he said. Steenhuisen said the tariffs will damage the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which is set to expire in September and is already under threat of not being renewed due to strained relations between South Africa and the US. 'Let me be clear: South African agriculture did not deserve this treatment. We do not dump, we do not distort, and we do not play geopolitical games with food,' he said. He said the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) was leading the country's formal engagement with the United States. 'And we continue to work hand in hand with Minister Tau and his team to ensure that the full impact on the agricultural sector is well understood,' he said. Soon after taking over the US presidency for the second time, Donald Trump came down heavy on South Africa by signing an Executive Order alleging that the country was mistreating its Afrikaner community by enabling genocide and passing oppressive policies. He also accused the country of being aggressive towards his country and its allies, 'including accusing Israel, not Hamas, of genocide in the International Court of Justice, and reinvigorating its relations with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements'. 'The United States cannot support the government of South Africa's commission of rights violations in its country or its undermining of United States foreign policy, which poses national security threats to our Nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests,' read the order. In reaction, Ramaphosa led a delegation, which comprised Steenhuisen and influential businessman Johann Rupert, to correct misinformation about Afrikaners' treatment and straighten the relationship with Trump's administration. However, the first phase of passing the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025, which, according to its author, US Congressman Ronny Jackson, seeks to punish ANC leaders, raised eyebrows. The act, which is now awaiting tabling at the full House of Representatives, accused the ANC's government leaders of undermining human rights by having a military and political relationship with the Russian government, which is at war with Ukraine. It accused the country of having allowed a US-sanctioned Russian cargo ship, the Lady R, to dock and transfer arms at a South African naval base in December 2022. 'The ANC published an article in their newspaper, ANC Today, in October 2024, promoting Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine,' read the proposed act, which also accused ANC leaders of mismanaging Eskom and Transnet, and enabling the cholera outbreaks. University of South Africa's Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs' international affairs expert, Dr Bongiwe Ngcobo, said the US actions were designed to force South Africa to abandon the International Court of Justice case against Israel on the Gaza conflict. She said South Africa's BRICS membership was also a concern for the US. 'If BRICS strengthen and grow, then it means they will have a challenger, and it means they will have less control over smaller countries like South Africa and other countries from the Global South,' she said. [email protected]
TimesLIVE
4 days ago
- TimesLIVE
Why Diepkloof Ext is a sought-after area among Soweto property buyers
Diepkloof Extension in Soweto is proving to be increasingly attractive to 'people who love the best of the kasi lifestyle with an affluent twist' because of its larger plots and an older, family-orientated community. This is the sentiment of Trish Luthuli, Pam Golding Properties West Rand area manager, who said buyers view it as good value for money. Prices in this section of DK, as it is affectionately known, range from R1.2m to R1.9m, according to the agency's data. 'Most of these homes are built strong and are solid, in an area which has tarred roads and well-maintained pavements. Since there are no sectional title developments here, it makes it unique,' said Luthuli. 'They are being maintained as 'family homes' that lean towards the 'intergenerational living' concept of shared spaces.' An uptick in property sales in Soweto was noted last year by property analytics company Lightstone. Its data showed about 2,200 residential properties worth nearly R900m were transacted in Soweto in 2023, the highest annual sales value yet recorded in the township. Sales of free-standing homes also thrived in 2019. Spanning about 200km 2, Soweto is home to an estimated 1.3-million people, living in 37 suburbs on 186,000 properties, which is more than double the 1994 figures, Lightstone said. The type of housing ranges from shacks to multimillion-rand homes, among them a large portfolio of rentals. Pam Golding data shows that a good proportion of buyers in Diepsloot Ext are older than 36 (41%) and mostly families looking to settle long term. There is also an indication that seniors (older than 65) are buying in Diepkloof, many of whom lived elsewhere in Soweto, and can now afford to move into the area. When they look to move to Soweto, they go to Diepkloof Ext. It is a highly sought-after area. People who are working in the Roodepoort area and Westonaria are also looking for property in Diepkloof Ext Mothobi Mothopeng, Seeff agent in Soweto 'DK has easy access to amenities like the N1 Highway, access to the Southgate Mall, Maponya Mall, Gold Reef City Amusement Park, and Baragwanath Hospital, among others,' she said. Seeff Soweto agent Mothobi Mothopeng, who has been working in the Soweto region for more than 15 years, is seeing buyers who are downgrading from Joburg's northern suburbs like Sandton and purchasers who previously lived in the southern suburbs. 'When they look to move to Soweto, they go to Diepkloof Ext. It is a highly sought-after area. People who are working in the Roodepoort area and Westonaria are also looking for property in Diepkloof Ext,' he said. There is a shortage of housing stock, however. 'Sellers are in short supply, people don't want to sell there. I may sell one or two properties in a year, and I am well known in the area,' he said. The limited number of properties on the market means DK Ext can cost more than those in southern suburbs like Winchester Hills and Ridgeway. Mathopeng said the average price of a property in these suburbs is about R1.2m, whereas in Diepkloof Ext, that is the starting price. He said very few houses cost about R1.2m. 'One of the things that attracts buyers is DK Ext's road connections, unlike the old Diepsloot,' he said, which allow for easy access to schools and shopping centres like Southgate Mall. There are three primary schools and one high school in the vicinity, with several well-looked-after preschools. However, many residents choose to send their children to schools in the southern suburbs. DK Ext residents have legal Eskom connections, unlike the illegal electricity problems of old Diepkloof. They are not affected by load rotation measures and service delivery protests generally do not affect them. Rentals are also popular in the area but Mathopeng said there is a huge difference in type and price compared with broader Soweto. He said an open-plan one-room house with a bathroom, a kitchen and a fitted cupboard goes for about R4,500 a month. 'Town houses in the suburbs of Joburg are very expensive. People are no longer going to rent in towns; they are looking for rentals in Soweto. We are managing more than 200 rental properties.' He is seeing increased interest in property in other areas of Soweto too, such as new developments in Protea. Even older houses don't last long in the market as people are buying, developing and turning them into rentals. 'For example, an old property in Orlando, just one bedroom and an open kitchen and sitting room — those old two rooms, they are rotten with no wall paint and have shacks in the yard. You put that on sale for R500,000, it doesn't last a month, people are buying it now.'
IOL News
5 days ago
- IOL News
National Assembly passes Appropriation Bill amid opposition objections
The Appropriation Bill easily mustered majority with 262 votes against 90 votes. Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers The National Assembly on Wednesday passed several departmental votes despite objections from the opposition parties during a marathon session at the Cape Town International Conference Centre. This was after the first reading of the Appropriation Bill was passed, paving the way for the approval of the full schedule of votes for 42 departmental and entities and the second reading of the Bill. The Bill easily mustered a majority with 262 when the ANC, the DA, IFP, Patriotic Alliance, Freedom Front Plus, ActionSA, UDM, Al-Jama-ah, Build One South Africa, Rise Mzansi, GOOD, and PAC voted in favour. The MK Party, EFF, ATM, National Coloured Congress, and United African Transformation voted against, with a combined 90 votes. The Presidency was the first budget to be voted for, followed by Parliament, and then the other departments and entities. As voting continued, individual departmental votes were each passed despite the EFF and MK Party consistently asking for the division of the House. Speaking during the debate, Deputy Minister for Finance David Masondo called on the parties to pass the Budget to allow the national government to spend R1.23 trillion to deliver services to protect the vulnerable and invest in the country's shared future. Masondo warned that the absence of the Appropriation Bill will mean that the government may only spend 45% of the previous year's Budget until the end of July, and thereafter 10% of the previous Budget. 'Our estimation overall by October is that the government will be without authority when we reach 100% of last year's appropriation,' he said. He also said failure to pass the Budget would delay critical priorities of the government. 'We should not prolong or object to the passing of this Bill. It is ultimately the most vulnerable members of society who depend on grants, public schools, and clinics who will suffer the most due to our inactions,' Masondo said. Build One South Africa and Standing Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Mmusi Maimane said the Budget was passed in severely constrained economic conditions. 'Our inherent problem is a problem of growth. As our economy is not growing, it means we have fewer resources to be able to redistribute to our citizens,' Maimane said. He called for improvements in the Budget process to give effect to the timelines of the Money Bill Act. 'I want to urge going into the next cycle to ensure we establish our priorities that we are clear with economic reform, we budget accordingly, and ensure the Budget process is smoother and people of South Africa can experience fullness of participation in the Appropriation Bill,' Maimane said. MK Party MP Sanele Mwali said it was disheartening that the country fell apart and the government prescribes the same economic, fiscal, and monetary policy, which failed to bring change and impoverished millions of citizens. 'Economic stagnation and high unemployment with obsession with debt reduction at the expense of investment and growth, and stimulate new economic activity,' Mwali said. DA MP Kingley's Hope Wakelin spoke against the R700m budgeted for the upcoming National Dialogue, saying the money could be used for tangible projects such as RDP houses, a job-seekers' grant, and free basic electricity for the indigent. 'The people do not want to see R700 million wasted on another expensive dialogue,' he said. He also said spending reviews should be implemented, an exercise that should look beyond reworking the Budget but eliminate duplications, and stop underperforming programmes and political vanity projects. 'These reviews should form part of the 2026 Budget planning,' he said. EFF MP Omphile Maotwe rejected the Appropriation Bill, saying some members of 'the gang unit' were happy to be in government to enjoy the gravy train and were not caring about the country's future. She accused some in the Government of National Unity who previously opposed the same Budget every year. IFP chief whip Nhanhla Hadebe said they were concerned that the allocations did to go far enough to address challenges facing the people. 'While we commend the National Treasury to contain expenditure and limit debt service cost, fiscal consolidation must not come at the cost of service delivery,' Hadebe said. Rise Mzansi MP Songezo Zibi observed that the Budget was not perfect and that South Africans wanted the government and Parliament to work on the available fiscal envelope. Zibi said the executive and Parliament should begin to make choices and prioritise programmes that were more important than others. 'Programmes that support economic growth and employment, safety, health, and education in modern skills are obviously a priority, but even those must be thoroughly examined for effectiveness,' he said, adding that programmes that can't produce evidence of sustainable impact must be reviewed and changed or stopped altogether. The vote on the departments' voting was continuing in the evening after 7pm. [email protected]
