Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism

The Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme [CASP] is a conditional grant received from the National Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries [DAFF]. 

An impact study on CASP commissioned by the DAFF - revealed that the Western Cape CASP funded projects performed very well in terms of increased production, job creation [with improved income] and food security in comparison to the other provinces.

During 2012, an internal evaluation on the World Food Day initiatives was undertaken which also revealed that over 60% of the household supported through this programme continued production years after event, which attest to sustainability. The Department has commissioned an external food garden evaluation to determine the impact made by these initiatives across the Province.

The purpose of the grant is to provide effective agricultural support services. This includes promoting and facilitating agricultural development. We target beneficiaries of land restitution and redistribution and historically disadvantaged producers who acquired land though private means; and are engaged in value-adding enterprises domestically, or involved in export.

Since 2009, a total of 275 projects were supported through CASP across commodities, i.e. fruit, animal production (beef, piggery, poultry and aquaculture), sheep and wool, vegetables, grain, seed production, table grapes and wine grapes through the commodity approach.   Furthermore, a total of 348 food gardens [including school food gardens) and 4521 households were supported mainly for food security to contribute to Outcome 7, output 2.

The successes of this programme can be documented as follows:

The businesses supported are quite successful and this was revealed through an independent evaluation; which indicated a 62% success rate from a population of 246 land reform enterprises that the Department was involved with during the period, April 2009 - 31 March 2013. 

Mentorship support is provided to smallholder farmers; by the commodity partners based on the commodity approach. This service does not cost the Department as the commodity organisations cater for the salaries of the mentors.

[a] The following are the main challenges facing land reform enterprises:

• Conflict amongst the land reform beneficiaries is a major problem, as it complicates decision making.
• Misalignment between agricultural support and land delivery programmes championed by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR). The consequence herein, is that the misalignment could lead to double dipping, i.e. same farmers funded for the same items by the two Departments.
• Agricultural advice not always acted upon during the acquisition of farms, could affect long term sustainability of land reform.
• Mismatch between the delivered land and the beneficiaries.
• Lack of security of tenure, makes it almost impossible for famers to access private funding and thus, become dependent on the State.

However, the Department is continuously engaging with the relevant stakeholders to overcome these challenges.