President Cyril Ramaphosa has assented to the Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land Bill. The law sets out a countrywide policy and regulatory framework for the preservation and development of agricultural land. 

According to AgriSA, farmers are extremely concerned about the effects of proliferation of unwanted mining and gas exploration on or in the vicinity of productive farming land, particularly with respect to the natural resources the sector is reliant on.  

What's more, AgriSA is carefully following discussions at the annual mining indaba in Cape Town.  While the importance of mining to the South African economy is acknowledged, the competition for natural resources between agriculture and mining is self-evident.  The organisastion, emphasises that food security and the preservation of agricultural land, particularly high-value agricultural land, needs to be prioritised. 

AgriSA was heartened by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signing of the Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land Act on 27 January 2025, the aim of which is to conserve and manage agricultural ecosystems and viable agricultural land units through regulations and the development of norms and standards. Work in this regard now needs to begin in earnest. 

Janse Rabie, AgriSA’s Head of Natural resources.