The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition (MAFSN) faced intense scrutiny from the Parliament’s Portfolio Committee for the Economic Cluster on Monday, following concerns over its inability to transition local farmers from subsistence to commercial farming.
Despite numerous aid initiatives over the years, the committee expressed scepticism about the country’s future ability to achieve food security and its long-term agricultural aspirations.
This scrutiny came after the ministry was called to Parliament to present its summer and winter cropping report for the 2024/25 period, as well as its plans for the 2025/26 seasons.
In light of persistent issues in local farming, committee members raised critical questions regarding the ministry’s progress toward making local agriculture more productive, sustainable, and capable of supporting both local consumption and export markets.
Sello Hakane, the chairman of the Economic Cluster, did not hold back in voicing his concerns.
“The vision of commercialising agriculture appears to be a distant aspiration that the ministry has yet to realise,” he remarked, pointing to the limited progress in achieving key agricultural goals.
Hakane’s statement reflects broader scepticism about the ministry's performance, especially when it comes to addressing chronic challenges like late delivery of essential agricultural inputs and insufficient resources for farmers.
“We often fail to put our words into action because, in reality, it seems we’re more focused on producing to provide for our families than on engaging in large-scale agricultural production. Year after year, we continue to struggle for the same reasons: seeds and fertiliser are delivered late, and many farmers don’t receive them at all, and the ministry continue to tell the nation the same thing. When will we finally overcome this challenge?” asked committee member Montoeli Masoetsa.
Defending the ministry’s poor performance, Thabo Moleko, the Principal Secretary (PS) of the ministry stressed a need for meticulous planning and the need for a strategic, comprehensive approach to agricultural development.
Moleko admitted that the ministry had faced significant setbacks, but was quick to shift the fail blame to the previous government, particularly with regards to the loss of agricultural machinery during the previous government’s tenure.
“Under the previous government, almost all of the ministry’s machinery, including essential tractors, was sold off,” he said, noting that this had severely limited the ministry's capacity to support farmers.
However, Moleko sought to reassure the committee that efforts were being made to rectify these shortcomings.
He indicated that the ministry was nearing completion of its fourth-quarter report for the 2024/25 financial year, which would outline the number of new machinery units acquired, thanks to an additional budget recently approved by Parliament.
This report, once released, is expected to shed light on the ministry’s capacity to ramp up agricultural production and enhance its support for local farmers.
On a more positive note, Moleko highlighted recent developments, including a significant donation of 12 tractors from South Korea.
Furthermore, he indicated that more tractors were expected from China in the near future.
The addition of new equipment is seen as a critical step in increasing the capacity of local farmers, many of whom have been struggling due to a lack of modern agricultural tools.
“We are making strides to gather essential agricultural equipment to empower the private sector, which is currently facing challenges due to limited capacity,” Moleko explained.
While the ultimate goal is for the private sector to lead in agricultural initiatives, he emphasised that substantial government support remains essential during this transitional phase.
In collaboration with the Disaster Management Authority and other stakeholders, the agriculture ministry is also working on a plan to improve the storage of agricultural inputs.
This includes evaluating facilities across the country to ensure that farmers have convenient access to the supplies they need.
Moleko pointed out that efforts were being made to improve storage conditions, including fumigating storage units ahead of the arrival of agricultural inputs, to prevent contamination and ensure the quality of supplies.
Winter Cropping 2025/26: Plans for Progress
The ministry’s plans for the 2025/26 winter cropping season were also discussed during the meeting with Mamohoebi Mohuoane, the Director of Crops, confirming that the ministry is committed to ensuring that farmers receive critical agricultural inputs in time for the upcoming season.
The ministry’s focused plan for winter cropping 2025/26 includes the distribution of subsidised seeds and fertilisers for wheat, which is expected to begin on April 1, 2025.
This timeline she said provides farmers with roughly two weeks to prepare their fields before the actual farming period, which runs from April 15 to June 15.
“The ministry has already secured 400 tonnes (approximately 8,000 bags) of high-quality wheat seeds, at an estimated cost of M3,300,000. These seeds are expected to arrive on schedule, ensuring that farmers will have timely access to the resources needed to begin their planting.”
Mohuoane noted that the procurement of seeds had been financed using the current budget for the upcoming financial year 2025/26, and that efforts were being made to avoid the delays that have plagued past seasons.
“Every year, we receive funds from the Ministry of Finance late, as the money is released only in the month we start winter cropping and by that time, our storage is empty, which doesn’t allow us enough time to procure the necessary inputs, hence, we have restructured our procurement timeline,” she added, indicating that changes were being made to ensure timely deliveries in the future.
Procurement and Fertilizer Challenges
Ranamane Seforo, the Acting Procurement Manager provided further details on the procurement process for the 2025/26 seasons.
According to Seforo, the tender process for wheat inputs will run from February 1 to the end of March.
“The ministry has opted for a limited tender procurement method, which involves contacting a select group of suppliers to request proposals.”
This approach, Seforo argued, would allow for faster procurement and delivery, particularly for fertilisers.
The total cost for the procurement of 11,100 tonnes of fertiliser, to be used for both winter and summer cropping, is estimated at M144,300,000.
Seforo also noted that the procurement process for fertilisers would begin in April, using a single sourcing method, which involves directly purchasing from a manufacturer.
This method, he explained, ensures timely procurement and fertiliser availability to farmers by late April or early May.
Despite this, the committee expressed concerns about the decision to engage in single sourcing, suggesting that it could limit competition and result in higher prices for the government. Some committee members recommended that the ministry open up the procurement process to allow manufacturers to compete for the contract, potentially achieving more favourable pricing.
