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dam-l S. African Water & Farmers (fwd)
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From dianne@lox.sandelman.ottawa.on.ca Tue Sep 30 12:06:26 1997
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Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 16:44:36 +0100
From: lori@irn.org (Lori Pottinger)
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Sender: dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca
Subject: S. African Water & Farmers
To: "undisclosed-recipients:;"@igc.org
>
>FARMERS CAN NO LONGER GET WATER VIRTUALLY FREE, SAYS ASMAL
>PRETORIA September 22 1997 Sapa
>
> The practice of farmers getting water virtually free should be
> stopped, Water Affairs Minister Kader Asmal said on Monday.
>
> "It makes no sense to me that we treat agriculture's critical
> component as an almost free good. There is irrefutable evidence
> that doing so leads to substantial inefficiencies," he told a
> water law workshop in Pretoria.
>
> Asmal said water tariffs in South Africa were, without exception,
> lower than the real value of water. This amounted to water being
> subsidised.
>
> "We do not subsidise fertiliser. We do not subsidise sheep. Why on
> earth should we subsidise water?" he asked.
>
> "Should we not say to farmers: let us do away with the subsidies,
> so that you pay an appropriate price for water, and let us invest
> instead in your ability to manage the land?"
>
> Asmal said it was becoming difficult for the government to allow
> water to be used at subsidised rates for practices resulting in
> the inefficient use of water.
>
> Industry, which also employs people and earns foreign revenue, was
> insisting on fair trade practices with regard to water.
>
> "How can I justify their paying ten-fold and more for the same
> water that farmers use on low-value crops?"
>
> Asmal said water subsidies should be phased out gradually and in
> an orderly fashion.
>
> "We need to give farmers time to adjust, and the ability to
> withstand the impacts. But we have no choice but to say that the
> economic signal of a low value on water is not sustainable."
>
> Asmal denied the proposed new water legislation was only aimed at
> farmers. New policies were being devised for all major users of
> water.
>
> These included the industry, urban, and domestic consumers. The
> objective was lay to down guidelines for the conservation and
> beneficial use of water, which should be regarded as a scarce
> commodity in South Africa.
>
> "No-one will escape the need for better use of our limited water
> resources," Asmal said.
>
To: irn-safrica@igc.apc.org
X-Sender: lori@pop.igc.apc.org
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Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008
http://www.irn.org
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