Farmers, agricultural organisations, and concerned South Africans can now register to attend a webinar hosted by the Agricultural Development Agency (Agda) about the severe impact of the energy crisis on agriculture and possible technology solutions.
The webinar will be facilitated by Dawn Noemdoe, host of Food For Mzansi’s popular Farmer’s Inside Track podcast on Thursday, 30 March at 14:00.
WEBINAR: Click here to sign up for the Agda webinar
Despite some reprieve from load shedding in the last few days, the agriculture sector remains vulnerable due to the energy crisis, characterised by power cuts from Eskom. This has caused significant losses for farmers across the country and has left many without a source of income. Crops are failing, livestock is suffering, and businesses are struggling to survive nationwide.
A problem for everyone
Agda believes the impact of the energy crisis on agriculture is not just a problem for farmers, but for all South Africans, as it directly affects the country’s food supply and economy, says the agency’s chief executive Leona Archary.
“The purpose of the webinar is to understand the current challenges faced by farmers – the impact generally on the agricultural economy and, specifically, the impact on new entrants and small-scale producers. Also, we wish to generate conversations and information available on new technology solutions.”
She adds that Agda plays the role of “integrator, aggregator and facilitator” in the upcoming webinar.
“We believe that the energy question is an important conversation for the sector and following on the recent successful conversation around the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan, we are excited that this webinar will also result in tangible opportunities to be explored in the green energy space.
Those who want to engage with the panellists during the webinar are encouraged to sign up for the live Zoom discussion. However, the webinar will also be live-streamed on Food For Mzansi’s website, Facebook, and YouTube pages, as well as the Agda Facebook page.
Agda emphasises that the webinar is a unique opportunity for farmers, experts, and concerned citizens to come together and generate creative and innovative solutions to the energy crisis. “This is not just another webinar, but a unique opportunity for farmers, experts, and concerned citizens to join forces and come up with creative and innovative solutions to this crisis,” says Archary.
Registration for the webinar can be done online using this link.
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