Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Lulu Xingwana on Tuesday welcomed this year's good maize harvest.

Briefing the media following the Presidential Commercial Agriculture Working Group meeting between government and representatives of the farming community, Xingwana said the good harvest would go a long way in preventing further maize price increases.

"We hope that this will stabilise prices," she said.

This year's maize harvest stood at 11-million tons, two-million tons more than that of the previous year.

However, Xingwana was quick to point out that a lot needed to be done to ensure that the current food inflation did not become a permanent feature.

"We need to assist farmers so that they can produce more. We need to invigorate agricultural investment," she said.

The meeting, chaired by President Thabo Mbeki, agreed that a number of measures needed to be undertaken in order to increase agricultural productivity.

"The meeting agreed that SA does not face a food availability crisis but rather a crisis with high prices.

"This impacts negatively on the poor and it calls for direct intervention where government and industry must act together," Xingwana said.

Government would continue working together with the farming community to find solutions for some of the challenges faced by farmers, such as crime.

"It was agreed the SA Police Service would look at the specific issues raised to improve safety," Xingwana said.

The farming community had also raised concerns around proposed land expropriation legislation currently before Parliament.

However, they were told to raise their concerns at the public hearings currently taking place on the measure.

Sapa