By Alicia Mmashakana
The Democratic Alliance in the Western Cape is urging parliamentary oversight channels to advocate for a change in the Comprehensive Agriculture Support Programme (Casp) so that farmers receive funding faster.
Casp funding was initially administered under Schedule 4 of the Public Finance Management Act, which has fewer administrative barriers and ensures that funds are transferred quickly by the programme’s national officer to provinces.
It is currently on Schedule 5.
According to DA Western Cape agriculture, economic development and tourism spokesperson Noko Masipa with the shift to Schedule 5, funds were now disbursed only upon receipt of comprehensive information, including farmers’ business plans, which were presented at national level.
“This scheduling delay, coupled with the necessity to begin planning a year in advance, often results in a mismatch between allocated funds and farmers’ evolving needs, particularly due to climate change and global market volatility.
“The process disproportionately affects emerging farmers who are heavily reliant on grants for their survival,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
Masipa said the change would enable the province to respond more swiftly to farmers’ needs and assess their business plans at the provincial level without delay, or having to rely on dispute or disaster mechanisms to access essential funding on time.
A switch in schedules would involve evaluating business plans at the local level to ensure that funding was allocated to farmers in a timely manner and avoid wasteful expenditure caused by delays, he said.
“If we want to ensure the sustained growth of the Western Cape’s booming agriculture sector, and reach the Western Cape government growth for jobs goal of tripling our exports by 2035, it is essential that our farmers receive the financial support needed to grow their businesses,” Masipa said.
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