Save our exports! – Steenhuisen fights to keep SA in AGOA deal

Steenhuisen

Cape Town – Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen on Tuesday presented the Department of Agriculture’s 2025/26 Budget Vote to Parliament, outlining a bold strategy to transform the sector amid persistent climate risks, food insecurity, and biosecurity threats.

In his first budget address since the department was separated from Land Reform and Rural Development, Steenhuisen described the current state of agriculture as “a sector at a crossroads” and pledged sweeping reforms to build an inclusive, competitive, and sustainable food system.

“This is more than a procedural responsibility. It is a defining moment for agriculture in our country,” Steenhuisen told MPs.

The department’s budget has been allocated across four key programmes:

  • Administration

  • Agricultural Production, Biosecurity and Natural Resources Management

  • Food Security and Support

  • Economic Development, Trade and Marketing

Each programme, Steenhuisen said, will focus on value-for-money delivery and stronger intergovernmental coordination.

With South Africa currently facing a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak and fresh concerns over swine flu, Steenhuisen placed biosecurity at the heart of his budget, declaring it “as important to our future as electricity, water and roads.”

The minister announced the establishment of a National Biosecurity Council, a Biosecurity Compact with vaccine and response protocols, and the deployment of 50 animal health technicians. He also confirmed upgrades at the Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) facility and deeper collaboration with the University of Pretoria’s National Biosecurity Hub.

Fight Against Hunger

Responding to statistics showing that only 36.5% of South African households are food secure, Steenhuisen unveiled new efforts to scale up food gardens, promote indigenous crops like amaranth and African leafy vegetables, and implement the 2024–2029 National Food and Nutrition Security Plan.

“The figures are not just statistics. They are expressions of a child going to bed hungry,” he said.

The department has already trained over 66,000 farmers and placed more than 3,000 agricultural graduates in internships. Plans are underway to integrate all 11 agricultural colleges into the higher education system to boost sector skills.

Trade and Market Access

With R258 billion in agricultural exports recorded in 2024, Steenhuisen stressed the need to protect and expand international market access.

The department is finalising a Market Access Strategy, pursuing new agreements in Asia and the Middle East, and defending its position under the AGOA and EPA trade frameworks.

A new livestock track-and-trace system is also in development to strengthen traceability, deter theft, and boost export credibility.

Steenhuisen committed to policy modernisation, announcing that the long-awaited amendments to the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act will be finalised this year. The department is also launching an Agricultural Digital Platform in partnership with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, and a Producer Support Portal to streamline farmer access to support.

A new Ministerial Oversight Framework will be introduced to ensure accountability across agriculture entities, including biannual performance reviews, consequence management for underperformance, and improved alignment with the sector’s Decadal Plan.

“Entities like the Agricultural Research Council, OBP and PPECB exist to deliver — not to drift,” Steenhuisen warned.

Closing his address with a call to unity, Steenhuisen said: “This budget is more than a set of figures. It is a statement of intent… We are ready. Let us climb together.”

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