Agriculture to unveil BEE plan

Johannesburg - The long awaited AgriBEE sector transformation charter, aimed at increasing the competitiveness and eliminating racial discrimination in the agricultural sector, will finally be unveiled on Friday, government news service BuaNews reported on Thursday.

This comes after the Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi Mpahlwa approved the application for the AgriBEE Sector Charter in March this year.

The drafting of the AgriBEE charter started in August 2002 with its first draft issued in July 2004.

A framework charter followed this in July 2005 and its second draft was released in November 2005.

The charter hopes to eliminate racial discrimination in the agricultural sector through implementing initiatives that empower mainstream black South Africans in agricultural activity and enterprises along the sector value chain.

Through AgriBEE, government aims to address the imbalances of the past with an integrated plan also aimed at generating equitable access to land and creating a profitable and sustainable agricultural sector for the previously disadvantaged.

AgriBEE will help to contribute to the government's objective of ensuring that the historically disadvantaged people own 30% agricultural land by the end of 2014.

Participants in formulating the documents include the government, AgriSA, the National African Farmers, TAU SA, the Agri business, Sacob, the South African Processors Association, the Banking Council and trade unions.

Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Lulu Xingwana will be launching the sector transformation charter in Pretoria.

- I-Net Bridge