Issued by: The National Department of Agriculture
NEWS RELEASE BY MRS A. T. (THOKO) DIDIZA, DEPUTY MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mrs Thoko Didiza, today announced in Cape Town that a consultative workshop which includes all relevant stakeholders, will be held in April 1996 to discuss the proposed Agricultural Financial Assistance legislation.
Mrs Didiza emphasised that the proposed workshop follows a process that started in 1994 from the principles of the White Paper on Agriculture pertaining to financial assistance, and the Report of the BATAT Design Team on the restructuring of agricultural financial assistance.
This discussion on restructuring the role of the state in financing agriculture has been shared with farmers, the Strauss Commission, the Financial Institutions and the Department of Finance. Other measures such as the review of the Agricultural Credit Board functions and additional schemes to broaden access to small and beginner farmers are already being implemented.
The Deputy Minister noted with great concern that the Strauss Commission's Report will now only be finalised and presented to the President by the end of July. Although this might delay the finalisation of the agricultural financial assistance legislation, it will not hamper the National Department of Agriculture to proceed with the transformation of agricultural finance.
ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, PRETORIA.
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