South Africa’s agriculture, forestry and fishing industries are to be allocated about R15.4-billion for the 2010/11 financial year according to the government’s medium-term expenditure estimates.

Finance minister Trevor Manuel, addressing parliament this week on the 2007 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), said that allocations to these sectors would have increased by 5.3% between the current financial year and 2010/11, from R10.7-billion to R15.4-billion.

The Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs’ land restitution programme received a main appropriation of around R3.6-billion for the 2007/08 financial year, while the land reform programme will receive close to R1.7-billion next year.

Agriculture is to similarly receive R3.4-billion for the next financial year, to be used for administration, economics and business development, bio-security and disaster management, and sector services and management.