Bread prices are not necessarily linked to increases in the payments to wheat farmers and wheat import tariffs.
Gordhan sounded pragmatic in his budget speech about dealing with drought, but will all those affected have access to funds, asks Wandile Sihlobo.
Wema was developed for dryland farmers, particularly smallholders, who are dependent mainly on rainfall.
Food security has the potential to become a crucial issue amid surging population growth, and our farmers are ageing.
The farming sector is growing and facing major changes that increasingly require more skilled labour.
Given the agricultural potential in former homelands and the challenges of communal land policies, this may be the time to review them.