Parliament of South Africa : Trade and Industry Committee on an Oversight Visit in Kwazulu Natal

Parliament, Friday, 26 January 2018 - Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry is currently on an oversight visit in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) from Thursday the 25^th following a series of engagements in the last quarter of 2017 with associations in the sugar industry in KZN.

The Committee Chairperson, Ms Joanmariae Fubbs, said the oversight visit programme includes meetings with the South African Sugar Association (Sasa), South African Farmers' Development Association (Safda), South African Cane Growers' Association (Sacga) over the recognition of Safda as an association that aims to transform the sugar sector. Subsequently in December 2017, Safda was officially recognised as an association that represents the interests of small farmers in this sector.

The purpose of the oversight visit by the Committee was to get first-hand information from the smaller farmers on their contribution to the sector as well as their challenges and to engage with Sasa and Safda. The Committee met Safda on Thursday (25 January) morning and proceeded to visit small farmers. Among the issues that were discussed in these engagements with farmers were the lack of support for small farmers in the sector, technical barriers affecting the selling of the sugar cane to the millers, issues of drought, and the urgent need for transformation in the sector to ensure that all farmers have access to financial and non-financial support in the sector.

The Committee raised concerns on the lack of fertiliser for the different types of soil, irrigation systems, and proper road infrastructure that would enable farmers to quickly get their yield to the markets/millers. 'The Committee therefore expressed the need to work with other Portfolio Committees including the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to address the challenges,' said Ms Fubbs.

Later in the day, the Committee visited Sasa where its Members expressed appreciation for the efforts made regarding the recognition of Safda and the small farmers they represent. However, Committee Members emphasised the need to have real and meaningful transformation in the sector. The Committee also visited the research section of Sasa where it learned about the research on new species of sugar cane. The Committee welcomed this, however, noted that more still needed to be done to ensure equitable access by all farmers to the new species of sugar cane.

The Committee will continue with the oversight today where it will visit the sugar terminal in the Durban port as well as attend an Imbizo with farmers in the area.

ISSUED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MS JOANMARIAE FUBBS

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