Afgri  Pam Golding Commercial Farms, the joint venture between listed agricultural services company Afgri and Pam Golding Properties, says it wants to assist government with its land redistribution programme and will meet the agriculture and land affairs department to discuss proposals.

Carl Bezuidenhout, MD of Afgri Pam Golding Commercial Farms, says the group will be "delighted to assist government" by sharing its wealth of information on farms available for sale in SA.

Bezuidenhout says estate agents can play an important role in helping government by sourcing reasonably priced farms.

The land reform issue was again in the spotlight at the end of last month, during the land summit in Johannesburg, when Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Land Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza questioned whether government's "willing seller, willing buyer" approach to land reform should be revisited.

Mlambo-Ngcuka said farmers often asked exorbitant prices for their land and that the principle was slowing down land reform.

Bezuidenhout says there have been more than 2000 farm sales in SA so far this year, or about 10 a day.

"I think that economics are driving it. When you look at low inflation and the low interest rate environment, it is becoming easier to buy farmland."

He says 1-million hectares have been transferred to new owners since the beginning of the year, for a total of R2,65bn.

The average price for a 500ha farm in SA is about R1,3m.

Afgri Pam Golding has 900 farms listed on its website.

"We believe there is a major opportunity to match these farms with the numerous willing buyers government has."

Bezuidenhout says information about farm sales has not been on government's radar screen because until recently 60% of all SA's farm sales were handled by local estate agents living in towns in close vicinity to the farms, or by local attorneys and auctioneering firms.

"The problem with these avenues is that a town agent or lawyer usually markets only in his town, whereas we market it nationally and internationally.

"Although there is a role to be played by auctioneers, the perception is that they attract only bargain hunters."

When Afgri Pam Golding is responsible for a sale, it brings in farm experts to assess the credit worthiness of the farm and to conduct a soil sampling and valuation.

"We do this to find real value for the farm business."

Bezuidenhout says estate agents play an "integral role in regulating the market" and so are in a position to help government.

"Estate agents become industry specialists in terms of valuing property because they have to make their living selling. They know they are not going to make an income if they try to sell something beyond its market value."

Business Day