As the economy becomes more and more private sector oriented, the nature of some of these services will change but never at the expense of producers or consumers. In fact, many of these services will be taken over by the farmers themselves, as they develop the capacity to organize themselves. In the area of drainage and irrigation, for example, we are working with farmers in the MMA and other areas, to develop novel forms of organization that would allow them to fully participate in the management of vital aspects of the system. This will have the effect of guaranteeing a higher quality of service at a reduced cost per farmer, thereby lowering the overall cost of production. Such community based organizations will eventually be able to take on other functions such as joint purchasing of inputs, and the provision of other types of productive infrastructure.
Government is committed to a fair land distribution system.
This we see as vital, not only in respect of the overall availability of land but also in terms of improving security of tenure for our producers. I want to state categorically that we have in place a fully transparent system for land allocation and we are improving the land information system. Those requiring land will then have available to them, accurate information on location and land quality, thereby enabling them to properly plan their investments and to execute their projects with minimum delay. Legislation providing for the reform of the land administration system is already prepared and will be placed before Parliament in the shortest possible time. As we move into the twenty first century, we are constantly aware of the fact that global agriculture is rapidly changing.