Water Quality and Agricultural Water Use in South Africa

1. Water Quality and Agricultural Water Use in South Africa Agricultural Research Council (ARC) 21 June 2006 Mr. Reckson Mulidzi Mr. Thabiso Mudau

2. Purpose of the presentation • To share experiences with the Honorable Members regarding our involvement in water quality in South Africa • To receive inputs from Honorable Members and other stakeholders towards improved water quality in South Africa

3. Scope of the presentation • What the ARC is • What guides our business • Vision and mission • Core business divisions • Public Support Services (PSS) • Current research activities related to water quality • Challenges and recommendations • Business partners

4. What the ARC is • Public entity listed in Schedule 3a of the Public Finance Management Act (Act 1 of 1999) • Financed through the Parliamentary Grant, Dept. of Science and Technology and Dept. of Agriculture Special Projects • It renders a multidisciplinary agricultural service addressing national agricultural priorities • It provides a strong scientific base and broadly distributed technology transfer capacity

5. What the ARC is • Its mandate is defined by the ARC Act (Act 86 0f 1990) • Reporting lines: Minister of Agriculture (quarterly and annually) Presentation of Strategic Plan and Annual Results to the Agriculture and Land Affairs Portfolio Committee KPI Reporting to the DST Presentations done on request to the NCOP Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs

6. What guides our business • The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa • The State of the Nation Address (SONA) • National Research and Development Strategy • The ARC Act (Act 86 of 1990) • Strategic Plan for the Department of Agriculture, and • Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (ASGI-SA) • Other legislation and policies

7. Vision “To be a nationally and internationally recognized centre of excellence in agricultural science and innovation”

8. Mission “To promote the agriculture and related sectors through research, technology development and technology transfer in order to: • Enhance the natural resource base and environment • Sustain a competitive agricultural economy • Provide new economic opportunities • Ensure high quality and safe food • Support an informed society and • Encourage the national growth and development of South Africa”

9. Core business divisions • Horticulture • Grains and Industrial Crops • Livestock • Public Support Services • Sustainable Rural Livelihoods • Business Development & International Relations • Human Resources and Administration • Finance Services

10. Public Support Services (PSS) • Three institutes: Agricultural Engineering (IAE), Plant Protection (PPRI), and Soil, Climate and Water (ISCW) • Promote the sustainable management and use of natural resources through research and technology development • Increase the productive efficiency of agro-ecosystems • One of the focus areas is on “Water quality and agricultural water use.”

11. Current research activities related to water quality • Assessment of the effect of different water qualities on crop production – constraints and types of crops • The effect of wetland systems and mining effluent water use on irrigated agriculture • Water quality analysis for agricultural use in rural areas of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal, and Western Cape provinces (250 samples from boreholes used for both domestic and agricultural production analyzed in 2005 for the DoA

12. Current research activities related to water quality (cont.) • Assessment of water quality and land degradation in wetland areas (working group to focus on the conservation of wetlands) • Impact of water quality on irrigation schemes (Limpopo province) • Water quality analysis for SADC countries (Zambia, Lesotho, and Botswana) • Monitoring the effect of water quality on soil / land productivity

13. Current research activities related to water quality (cont.) • South Africa is a water scarce country • Wastewater re-use for agricultural production is very important • ARC Infruitec is running a project on the use of treated winery wastewater for cash crop and vines irrigation • Portfolio Committee on Agriculture Land Affairs /NCOP Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs visited this project in 2005 • Purpose of the project is to address the issue of food security to farm workers

14. Challenges • Soil salinity • The unsustainable management and utilization of wetlands contribute to loss in natural biodiversity with harmful consequences for peoples livelihoods • Insufficient knowledge or lack of it • Discharges of mine water into the river system

15. Recommendations • Research in water quality to establish the extent of degradation in our river systems, wetlands and irrigation schemes • Soil-crop-water quality studies with emphasis on developing monitoring tools/technologies and assessing impacts of soil erosion, mining and water from industries • Establishment of a comprehensive country wide water quality monitoring network • Other relevant studies commissioned by our line departments

16. Our business partners • National Government Departments • Provincial Government Departments • Farmers and Farmer Associations • Private Sector • Universities and Technikons • Other Science Councils

17. Institute for Tropical & Subtropical Crops Institute for Industrial Crops Institute for Soil, Climate & Water Plant Protection Research Institute Vegetable & Ornamental Plant Institute Range & Forage Institute Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute Animal Nutrition & Animal Products Institute Animal Improvement Institute Agricultural Engineering Institute ARC-Animal Nutrition & Products Institute Grain Crops Institute Small Grain Institute Infruitec-Nietvoorbij

18. Agricultural Research Council buildings and Research Farms

19. Thank you!! www.arc.agric.za