Agri SA, a federation of agricultural organisations, said on Tuesday that it was heartened by Agriculture Minister, Thoko Didiza's budget speech delivered at Parliament.

Delivering her department’s budget vote address in Parliament on Tuesday, Didiza said her department will recruit veterinary doctors and animal health specialists in a bid to sustain the country's biosecurity in respect of livestock industry, among other programmes. 

Didiza also said policy instruments will be developed for the commercialisation of black farmers, and also reflect whether institutions dealing with the financing of agriculture like the Land Bank were properly capacitated to undertake this task.

President of Agri SA, Dan Kriek, who attended the speech welcomed the focus on partnerships, agricultural finance, the commercialisation of black farmers and the productive use of land.

"It is also positive that the minister has recognised the importance of ethical conduct, the need to strengthen institutions, the problems with communal property associations and the need to have a bigger focus on bio-security," Kriek said.

Kriek called on Didiza to join forces with the private sector in this regard. Agri SA is deeply involved in processes to develop a development financing model.

Kriek also reiterated Agri SA' s commitment to building an inclusive, thriving and globally competitive agricultural sector.

"What the minister did not deal with, however, is the question of policy uncertainty around property rights. The agricultural sector sorely needs policy certainty," he said.