AGRI SECURITAS TRUST FUND
The Agricultural Industry is a valuable sector in the South African economy and is indispensible in terms of its contribution to social welfare, peace and national stability. The consistently high incidence of crime in the rural areas, but particularly the ongoing spate of farm attacks and murders of farmers, farm workers and their families, seriously hampers the stabilising role that agriculture plays in rural areas.
Agri SA, after the Summit on 10 October 1998, decided to establish the Agri Securitas Trust Fund in an effort to generate funds that can be used for projects aimed at making rural areas a safer place.
With the inception of the Trust Fund, former President Nelson Mandela gave his support to the Fund, and the current President continues to support this effort. The Trust Fund is managed by a team of expert agricultural, business and public leaders who accepted the responsibility to manage the finances of the Trust and to identify the projects that are to be financed.
Objectives of the fund
The overall objective of the Trust Fund is to contribute to the protection of rural areas and to improve the alertness of the rural community by:
Financing approved projects ninitiated at grassroots level in the interests of the relevant community so that such community can improve its own safety in the process;
Providing information to promote own alertness and the protection of homesteads;
Making contibutions towards approved trust funds created to assist financislly those children who are orphaned as a result of a farm attack; and
Making contributions towards Agri Securitas Trauma Scheme premiums in order to assist members of Agri SA to make financial provision for medical expenses incurred after farm attack or accident.
South Africa comprises approximately 3.8% of the African continent, while only 14% of the total surface area of South Africa consists of arable farm land. South African farmers produce 25% of maize and 13% of wheat cultivated in Africa. In the SADC region South Africa produces 58% of maize and 87% of wheat.
South Africa's total grain production represents approzimately 61% of production in Southern Africa, while total red and white meat production in South Africa constitutes about 66% of total production in Southern Africa. South Africa is also the largest producer of sugar, milk and fresh fruit in Southern Africa.
In the total picture of agriculture production - in Africa and the world - South Africa is an exception par excellence.
Notwithstanding the security threat that South African farmers face on a daily basis, the whole of Africa as well as the test of the world is envious of the South African farmer's expertise in the agricultural field that continues to ensure that our country, as well as many neighbouring states, have sufficient food.