Farm Planning

Farm planning is a part of the sub-programme: LandCare. This programme is aimed at restoring sustainability to land and water management in both rural and urban areas. It encompasses integrated sustainable natural resource management where the primary causes of natural resource decline are recognised and addressed. 

LandCare is community based and community led and seeks to achieve sustainable livelihoods through capacity building and related strategies. LandCare policies will be developed and achieved through the formation of partnerships with a wide range of groups from within and outside Government through a process that blends together appropriate upper-level policy processes with bottom-up feedback mechanisms.

Farm Planning

One of our main functions is to ensure that the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (Act 43 of 1983) is executed. Regulations under this Act allow public funds to be used as subsidies to land users for the erection of soil conservation works. These works can be divided into 4 major groups, namely:

1. Drainage works
2. Protection works
3. Veld utilisation works
4. Flood repair works

The process

As a first step, a farm planning is drawn up by the land user and the LandCare officer, reflecting present and proposed works. These works are then planned, designed and inspected by officers of this division in the execution of the Act. These works are usually expensive mechanical works and can cost the land user more than the subsidy he receives to erect the structure.

Due to the present weak economical position of most land users, there has been a decrease in the number of structures constructed. A recommendation would be to increase the subsidy offered to land users and thereby increasing the number of conservation works constructed.