Accusations of farmers asking "excessive" prices for their land will not detract from the "dismal failure" of land reform, Agri SA said on Monday.

The organisation said it was responding to alleged comments by the Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti in Kwazulu-Natal on Sunday.

"The minister... lapsed into political rhetoric of accusations aimed at farmers to detract from the dismal failure of land reform," Agri SA president Johannes Moller said in a statement.

He said allegations that farmers wanted excessive prices for their land did not take into account valuation processes and market prices ? which were beyond the farmers' control.

"We find it regrettable that the Minister, in making these allegations, did not refer to the corruption, mismanagement, clumsiness and laxity within his own department," said Moller.

"The rate at which land reform results in non-use or under-utilisation of farming capacity means that the government's statements on food security, job creation, etc. are no more than lip service," said Moller.

He also said Agri SA had invited the minister to disclose the incidence of illegal evictions from farms.

"We are still waiting for figures on illegal evictions."

Moller said comparisons made by the minister between the situation in Zimbabwe and South Africa were "uncalled for and dangerous".

However, ministerial spokesman Elton Greeve said Nkwinti was raising these issues with a desire to consult various parties included organised agriculture and farmers.

He said the minister's attitude was "these things, we need to raise them in order to discuss them. If we don't address land reform, we run the risk of going that way [such as Zimbabwe]"

In terms of Agri SA, Greeve said the minister was engaging with the organisation.

"We have said we want to consult and the minister has had consultation with them."