Steenhuisen outlines ambitious plans for South Africa’s agricultural sector

Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen on Tuesday said the department's mission was to build a food system that was inclusive, competitive and sustainable.

Steenhuisen highlighted the potential of this sector to generate jobs, contribute to economic growth, strengthen exports, and revitalise rural economies.

“On the other side, we confront persistent risks: climate shocks, high input costs, biosecurity failures, land degradation, weak infrastructure, and uneven access to markets and finance,” he said.

Steenhuisen added that there was also a human reality behind the figures—of smallholder farmers locked out of opportunity, of families facing food insecurity, of veterinary professionals overburdened and under-resourced, and of a nation that too often reacts to crisis rather than prepare for it.

“This budget is designed to change that trajectory,” he said.

Steenhuisen said that for the 2025/26 financial year, the department has been allocated a budget aligned to administration, agricultural production, biosecurity and natural resources management, food security and support, and economic development, trade and marketing.

He said the greatest unseen threat to the sector today was not only climate, but also biosecurity failure.

“The 2023 bird flu outbreak taught us that. It was not just a health incident; it was a systemic shock. Egg prices skyrocketed, small producers folded, and consumer confidence plummeted,” he said.

“Today, we also face a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, along with growing concerns about swine flu and other livestock diseases. It is clear—biosecurity is not just a veterinary issue—it is a national priority. It is as important to our future as electricity, water, and roads.”

Steenhuisen said that establishing a Biosecurity Council, with a whole-of-society mandate to coordinate public, private, and community responses.

“We are also launching the National Biosecurity Compact—an agreement with clear roles, vaccine stock levels, outbreak protocols, and infrastructure commitments. We are also deploying 50 animal health technicians to assist with urgent vaccination rollouts,” he said.

“We are prioritising FMD containment in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, with forward and backward tracing; strengthening oversight and capability at the Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) to address backlogs and modernise production.”

Steenhuisen said the department was expanding the partnership with the University of Pretoria’s National Biosecurity Hub and enhancing surveillance, SPS capacity, and graduate training.

He said that food security was not an aspirational goal; it is a daily crisis for millions.

“According to the National Food and Nutrition Security Survey, only 36.5% of households are food secure. Nearly 18% experience severe food insecurity. These are not just figures. They are expressions of a child going to bed hungry, of a parent sacrificing meals, of dreams deferred.”

Steenhuisen added that the department was implementing the 2024–2029 National Food and Nutrition Security Plan, coordinated with the departments of health, education, social development, and environment.

“We are scaling up school gardens, community food hubs, and home food production. We are promoting neglected and underutilised species (NUS) like amaranth, African leafy vegetables, and bambara groundnuts. These offer nutrition, resilience, and cultural relevance.”

Steenhuisen said that over 66 000 farmers have received training, and more than 3 000 agricultural graduates have been placed through our internship programmes.

“We are integrating all 11 agricultural colleges into the higher education system to ensure that they become centres of excellence.”

Steenhuisen expressed pride in the achievements of South African agriculture, citing an impressive R258 billion in agricultural exports recorded in 2024.

He mentioned ongoing negotiations to secure market access to Asia and the Middle East, while defending the country’s position under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) and European Partnership Agreement (EPA) frameworks.

Steenhuisen said that South Africa is fortunate to have some of the most well-organised commodity bodies in the world—from GrainSA to the South African Poultry Association (SAPA) and the Citrus Growers’ Association.

“These institutions bring structure, research, and discipline to their sectors. Sometimes, the most effective thing the government can do is to get out of the way—create a conducive policy environment, ensure market integrity.”

BUSINESS REPORT