ARC RESEARCH INITIATIVES

1. ARC RESEARCH INITIATIVES Presented by Dr Nthoana Tau-Mzamane President and Chief Executive Officer: Agricultural Research Council

2. AGRICULTURE IN SA: CURRENT STATUS • Farming more than 40% of total household income • Government approach to agriculture multi-pronged • Land reform • should form part of a policy of poverty reduction within a framework of rural development • may change the agricultural sector in South Africa

3. BACKGROUND AND MANDATE:THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COUNCIL • PRIMARY MANDATE • To conduct research, develop technology, and transfer technology that promotes agriculture and industry in South Africa • Funded through an annual Parliamentary Grant AGENCY MANDATE • Maintenance of national assets • Provision of national quarantine, diagnostic and agricultural engineering services • Services rendered with full cost recovery • GOALS • Provision of agricultural research products and services, which contribute to: • sustainable use of the natural resource base and the environment • competitiveness of the South African agricultural sector • increased participation and access to the sector by resource-poor farmers • production of high quality and safe food • an informed society • supporting the national growth and development of both South Africa and the region.

4. BACKGROUND AND MANDATE:THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COUNCIL • GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES • The ARC is aligned to the policies and priorities of government • These currently include: • Growing the competitiveness of the first economy • Modernising the second economy • Creating social security safety nets • RELEVANT ARC PRIORITIES FOR 2005/2006 • Within the context of this presentation, current priorities include: • Research • Finance • Customers • Organisation

5. BACKGROUND AND MANDATE:THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COUNCIL • STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS • Core divisions • Grains and Industrial Crops • Horticulture • Livestock • Public Support Services • Sustainable Rural Livelihoods • Support divisions • Finance & ICT • Human Resources & Admin • Business development & International Relations

6. Science & Technology Capacity

7. Age demographics of the science base Capacity of human resource (1) Skills transfer & mentorship programs (3) Opportunities & rewards (2) Training & Retention strategies

8. Infrastructure capacity[pmg note: map not included, please email info@pmg..org..za ]

9. Financial capacity

10. Financial capacity

11. Income Sources Financial capacity

12. Parliamentary Grant vs External Earnings 2005 Financial capacity

13. Parliamentary Grant vs External Earnings 2004 Financial capacity

14. BACKGROUND AND MANDATE:THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COUNCIL • PRODUCTS AND SERVICES • Two broad categories: • those that benefit the nation as a whole • those needed by customers with particular requirements • OPPORTUNITIES • The ARC is looking beyond traditional customer base • Opportunities include: • Expanding the customer base • Developing products and services that proactively anticipate the future needs of customers. • Exploiting commercial opportunities

15. What THE ARC does – Sustainable projects to meet THE NEEDS OF FARMERS • More than 280 strategic projects are currently undertaken across the ARC’s core divisions of Animal Production, Grains and Crops, Horticulture and Public Support Services • These projects vary in size, scale and duration • Ultimate goals: • upliftment and sustainability of farmers • skills transfer • increased production • poverty alleviation • improved quality of life

16. What THE ARC does – Sustainable projects to meet THE NEEDS OF FARMERS • NUTRITIONAL VALUE • Food-based approach to alleviate micronutrient deficiency problems in South Africa • Promotion of utilization of vitamin A-rich vegetables in a food-based approach to address vitamin A deficiency problems in the Eastern Cape • Germplasm management of African leafy vegetables for the nutritional and food security needs of vulnerable groups in SA • Seasonal trends of nutrients of honeybush tea plants

17. What THE ARC does – Sustainable projects to meet THE NEEDS OF FARMERS • SOILS • Monitoring the soil fertility status in resource-poor environments • Soil acidity calibration for maize • IRRIGATION • Alternative small scale irrigation methods for domestic utilisation

18. What THE ARC does – Sustainable projects to meet THE NEEDS OF FARMERS • INFORMED SOCIETY: SKILLS TRANSFER AND TRAINING • Kgalagadi Dipudi Goat Project • Beekeeping Development for Poverty Relief • Technology transfers on spiders • Assisting and training the Riemvasmaak community in growing table and raisin grapes • NATIONAL ASSETS • Biosystematics – eg Arachnida, plant feeding mites and parasitic and predacious mites

19. What THE ARC does – Sustainable projects to meet THE NEEDS of FARMERS • CULTIVARS • Sorghum germplasm • Breeding groundnuts for adaptation in southern Africa • Advancement of appropriate oil and protein seed technology and sound production practices for small-scale farmers • Pineapple Improvement • Crop manipulation of lemons

20. What the ARC does – Sustainable projects to meet THE NEEDS OF FARMERS • BIOLOGICAL CONTROL • Biological control of Lantana camara • POST-HARVEST TECHNOLOGY • Production systems for new sweet potato varieties • Post harvest and processing technology for small-scale farmers

21. What the ARC does – Sustainable projects to meet THE NEEDS OF FARMERS • PRODUCTION SYSTEMS • Low input production systems • Development of the ‘bio-village’ model for food production and poverty alleviation • PEST MANAGEMENT • Integrated Pest Management training for Haarlem fruit growers • Develop alternative control measures for pests and diseases

22. What the ARC does – Sustainable projects to meet THE NEEDS OF FARMERS • INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE • Production manuals, leaflets, fact sheets and info-toons for African vegetables • Potato production for small-scale and emerging farmers in South Africa • Indigenous Knowledge Systems

23. What the ARC does – Sustainable projects to meet THE NEEDS OF FARMERS • CROPS • Farmer Support Programme for developing and resource-poor farmers • Weed control programme in small grains for resource-poor farmers • Identifying maize cultivars tolerant to low soil fertility for small-scale farm application

24. What the ARC does – Sustainable projects to meet THE NEEDS OF FARMERS • RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS • Biology of Orthoptera and Isoptera • Information Core for Southern African Migrant Pests • Crop Pests Database • NON-CHEMICAL CONTROLS • Non-chemical control of wheat aphids with special reference to resource limited farmers

25. What the ARC does – Sustainable projects to meet THE NEEDS OF FARMERS • SRL INITIATIVES • Cashmere and Leather Processing from South African Indigenous Goats • National Milk Processing Initiative • ANIMAL PRODUCTION • Integrated livestock-crop development • Wooled Sheep for Communal farming • Distribution of high quality genetic material to previously disadvantaged dairy farmers

26. What the ARC does – Sustainable projects to meet THE NEEDS OF FARMERS • BIODIVERSITY • Community-based Natural resource Management of arid rangelands for sustainable livelihoods • NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT • Managing Communal Rangeland Resources in social ecological environments • FOOD SAFETY • National Risk Profiles for Rural Food

27. EXAMPLES - SRL PROJECTS IN PROVINCES

28. EXAMPLES - SRL PROJECTS IN PROVINCES

29. LOOKING AHEAD:THE ARC’S CHALLENGES AND RISKS • Ability to pay for products or services • Competition • The unlocking of indigenous knowledge systems • Intellectual property laws • Funding • Lack of attractiveness of science as a form of employment • Ageing scientific human capital • Increased customer base • Employee well-being • Infrastructure

30. KEY CHALLENGES FOR THELAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECTOR • Poverty • Sustainable use of resources • Sustainable land distribution • The ARC has conducted profiling of municipalities for agricultural development • Identifies the potential for production and economic returns • The ARC has conducted three field studies as part of the Agricultural Research for Development programme (ARD) to identify underlying constraints land reform • One field study was based on conservation agriculture and shows how environmental protection can be achieved through technologies such as minimum tillage • Land reform for agricultural development • Sustainability of the transferred agricultural land is limited by access to market • Capacity building • Need for training of core organizational component / e.g. board& employees • Continued after care

31. CONCLUSION This presentation serves as a broad outline of the Agricultural Research Council’s research and support initiatives, specifically in the strategic areas of the sustainable use of the natural resource base and the environment, the competitiveness of the South Africa agricultural sector, the production of high quality and safe food, increased access to the sector by resource-poor farmers, an informed society and supporting the national growth and development of South Africa. Within the work of the ARC, challenges are acknowledged at all levels – of the organisation, of the Department of Land Affairs, and of government - and solutions sought. The ARC is looking to the future in terms of expanding and developing initiatives. For this, however, ongoing funding and increased parliamentary support – for both new and ongoing initiatives – is vital. The ARC is a world-class research organisation; the challenge now is to become fully relevant to the needs of the people and to attract support so that the ARC can mature locally in order for it to expand its footprint successfully at regional and international levels.