• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Lifestyle
Members of the Fighting for Water Justice Coalition pictured earlier in the streets of Ceres in the Western Cape spreading awareness about covid-19. Photo: Supplied

Covid-19 second wave shakes farming communities

11th December 2020
This #SoilSista’s poultry farm puts quality first

This #SoilSista’s poultry farm puts quality first

16th August 2022
Prof. Theo Venter gives his take on the ruling party’s recent policy conference and what it means going forward. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Fixing agri challenges: ‘ANC no longer has a choice’

16th August 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Cattle may now only be transported directly to a registered abattoir in South Africa. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

FMD battle: Govt prohibits movement of all cattle

16th August 2022
Justin Platt, founder and CEO of Zylem and RegenZ argues that instead of basing management decisions on a purely rational and cognitive approach, farmers need to harness (and trust) their unique intuition. Photo: Supply/AdobeStock

Farmers, trust your intuition and go with your gut

16th August 2022
Leanne Gammage and Jackson Andrew, co-founders of Masterstock Cape Wild Food. Masterstock Cape Wild Food is a speciality salt brand focused on regenerative agriculture. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Agripreneur 101: Regeneration at the heart of this salt company

16th August 2022

R350 grant puts sisters on agri path to success

15th August 2022
The uMngeni Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal is supporting local farmers through a new agricultural unit that has been established in the municipality. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer support: KZN municipality leads the way

15th August 2022
Farmers in the south-western parts of the country can expect a slightly drier than usual spring. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

ICYMI: Below-normal winter rainfall to continue

15th August 2022
This week's Agri calendar features a wine and food event, an online discussion on biofilms the dairy industry and another on cutting fertiliser costs. There's also a livestock auction to look out for and an online event about soil. Include your event to the calendar by emailing info@foodformzansi.com. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

This week’s agriculture events: 15 to 18 August 2022

15th August 2022
Andile Matukane, founder of Farmers Choice and Devroll Legodi, founder of Devroll Herbs, joined a recent session of Food For Mzansi’s Gather To Grow on twitter o discuss the cultivation of spring onions in Mzansi. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer 101: Top tips to grow spring onions

14th August 2022
This drone is collecting data which farmers can then access on the yield management platform. Photo: Supplied/Aerobotics

How the Internet of Things is transforming agri

13th August 2022
His life took a turn for the worst when he ended up in jail for dealing in drugs, but Thembinkosi Matika turned his life around and now helps others through his Legacy Farming Project. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Drug dealer turned farmer ploughs back

12th August 2022
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
11 GLOBAL MEDIA AWARDS
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
Food For Mzansi
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
    • All
    • AgriCareers
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Farmers
    • Groundbreakers
    • Innovators
    • Inspiration
    • It Takes a Village
    • Mentors
    • Movers and Shakers
    • Partnerships
    Leanne Gammage and Jackson Andrew, co-founders of Masterstock Cape Wild Food. Masterstock Cape Wild Food is a speciality salt brand focused on regenerative agriculture. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Agripreneur 101: Regeneration at the heart of this salt company

    R350 grant puts sisters on agri path to success

    The uMngeni Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal is supporting local farmers through a new agricultural unit that has been established in the municipality. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Farmer support: KZN municipality leads the way

    This drone is collecting data which farmers can then access on the yield management platform. Photo: Supplied/Aerobotics

    How the Internet of Things is transforming agri

    His life took a turn for the worst when he ended up in jail for dealing in drugs, but Thembinkosi Matika turned his life around and now helps others through his Legacy Farming Project. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Drug dealer turned farmer ploughs back

    Christo Van der Rheede is the executive director of Agri SA. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

    Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

    Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

    Claire and Martin Joubert have sacrificed and struggled to become top breeders of Ankole cattle in South Africa. But giving up was never an option, because they wanted to offer only the very best Ankole genetics in the country. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Farming couple lives and breathes Ankole cattle

    Tackling climate change, one tree at a time

  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
No Result
View All Result
Food For Mzansi

Covid-19 second wave shakes farming communities

by Duncan Masiwa
11th December 2020
in News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
Members of the Fighting for Water Justice Coalition pictured earlier in the streets of Ceres in the Western Cape spreading awareness about covid-19. Photo: Supplied

Members of the Fighting for Water Justice Coalition pictured earlier in the streets of Ceres in the Western Cape spreading awareness about covid-19. Photo: Supplied

The agriculture sector has expressed its deepest concern for high levels of negligence and complacency within farming communities who are not always mindful of covid-19 safety protocols. Duncan Masiwa speaks to various role players about fears for the virus’ second wave.

Rural communities in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal remain on high alert after a dramatic increase of coronavirus infections. Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize confirms that South Africa is now officially battling the virus’ second wave and, this time around, health authorities might buckle under pressure.

Of particular concern is a covid-19 increase in holiday hotspots, but also in farming communities, confirms Dr Ivan Meyer, the Western Cape minister of agriculture. While farm life is often outdoors and socially distanced, the virus continues to shake farming communities.

Navan Hendricks, an agricultural worker with Elandsrivier Boerdery in Prins Alfred Hamlet in the Western Cape. Photo: Supplied
Navan Hendricks, an agricultural worker with Elandsrivier Boerdery in Prins Alfred Hamlet in the Western Cape. Photo: Supplied

An agricultural worker from Ceres in the Western Cape, Navan Hendricks, says he has changed his own behaviour after he tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in June this year. He is one of the approximately 829 000 South Africans who tested positive for it, although some experts believe that up to 20 million people might have already been infected.

ADVERTISEMENT

“When I got my results so many things were going through my head. I was terrified, but I overcame it,” Hendricks tells Food For Mzansi, indicating that his life hasn’t been the same since. “I used to be a social and outgoing person, but my behaviour has changed.”

The 22-year-old works for Elandsrivier Boerdery, a fruit export and drying farm in Prince Alfred Hamlet, about 150 kilometres from Cape Town. Today, he is much more compliant to the stringent covid-19 regulations and under no illusions of the virus’ muscles.

“I would like to encourage my fellow agricultural workers and colleagues in the industry,” he says. “Yes, it’s not always easy (to comply to lockdown measures), but rather be safe than sorry. Wear your mask, even if it’s uncomfortable now and then. Be safe, so that you can avoid becoming one of the statistics.”

“We have NOW heard that we are in the second wave. Let it not be through the contributions of the farming sector.”

Meanwhile insiders tell Food For Mzansi they are worried about covid-19’s impact on the agricultural community. Across the country, especially farm workers are still not always maintaining social distances, and they’re often transported on overloaded vehicles.

Dr Mogale Sebopetsa, the head of the Western Cape department of agriculture. Photo: Supplied

However, the Western Cape’s head of agriculture, Dr Mogale Sebopetsa, says they  are not just concerned about the agriculture sector. He says citizens, in general, have become complacent.

“We have now entered an economic recovery phase and the sector cannot another lockdown,” says Sebopetsa. “The sector has already developed transport protocols to assist with the traveling of seasonal workers. We all carry the responsibility for reducing the resurgence currently being experienced.”

He adds that government continues to aggressively monitor compliance in the sector. In addition, the province has adopted a hotspot methodology driven in collaboration with districts which aims to slow the spread of the virus and rebuild the economy.

Not adhering is ‘blatant, careless action’

Sinelizwi Fakade, an Eastern Cape farmer. Photo: Supplied
Sinelizwi Fakade, an Eastern Cape farmer. Photo: Supplied

An Eastern Cape grain farmer, Sinelizwi Fakade, confirms to Food For Mzansi that farmers and their workers have displayed relatively high levels of negligence in parts of his province. Mkhize has also earlier red-flagged the Eastern Cape as a covid-19 hotspot.

Characterising it as “careless action”, Fakade believes that non-compliance is more prevalent on farms producing cash crops. These farms generally attract more people.

ADVERTISEMENT

“It is our initiative to ensure that our farm workers are in a safe space with regards to the virus. It is important that as farmers, we really (continue to) lead the charge and be extremely strict with regards to the covid-19 safety regulations,” he says.

Fakade, however, has high praise for farmers in the Joe Gqabi district municipality, in which he farms. They are generally complying with safety protocols, also after the Eastern Cape has been placed under more severe lockdown measures than the rest of the country.

‘Farmers and agri workers to lead by example’

AFASA Chairperson, Neo Masithela.
Afasa chairperson, Neo Masithela. Photo: Supplied

Neo Masithela, chairperson of the African Farmers’ Association of South Africa (Afasa), has a stern warning for farmers and agricultural workers. “We have now heard that we are in the second wave. Let it not be through the contributions of the farming sector.”

Afasa calls on all farmers, farm managers and workers to make a meaningful attempt in reducing the spread of covid-19. Masithela says, “We also call on the children of our farmers and farm workers to avoid attending big social gatherings and observe the call made by the president and minister of health.”

Agriculture should lead by example, he says. “We have learned that agriculture has been one of the main contributors to the GDP of our country. Let’s also lead our society to reduce or flatten the spread of the virus.”

Tags: AFASAcoronaviruscovid-19 regulationsDr Mogale SebopetsaDr Zweli MkhizeNavan HendricksNeo MasithelaSARS-CoV-2Second waveSinelizwi FakadeWestern Cape Department of Agriculture
Previous Post

Government honours Food For Mzansi with ministerial award

Next Post

Violence against women intensified during covid-19 lockdown

Duncan Masiwa

Duncan Masiwa

DUNCAN MASIWA is a budding journalist with a passion for telling great agricultural stories. He hails from Macassar, close to Somerset West in the Western Cape, where he first started writing for the Helderberg Gazette community newspaper. Besides making a name for himself as a columnist, he is also an avid poet who has shared stages with artists like Mahalia Buchanan, Charisma Hanekam, Jesse Jordan and Motlatsi Mofatse.

Related Posts

Youth engaging in a panel discussion at the Western Cape climate change and agriculture youth and young researchers' convention. Photo: Supplied/Mary James

WC youth unite to brainstorm climate change

by Lucinda Dordley
26th July 2022
0

The future seems bright based on the success of last week's first-ever Climate Change and Agriculture Youth and Young Researchers'...

Ncumisa Mkabile, is a farmer, community activist that has won numerous awards for her work in agriculture. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer, influencer, go-getter – Ncumisa’s all that

by Tiisetso Manoko
25th July 2022
0

CHANGEMAKER: Ncumisa Mkabile has achieved in two years what few others will in their lifetime. An entrepreneur at heart, this...

Eastern Cape grain farmer Sinelizwi Fakade told Cyril Ramaphosa that limited access to funding continued to constrain young farmers. The president vowed to return to the province to fully engage with issues raised. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Ramaphosa vows to address challenges faced by young farmers

by Tiisetso Manoko
17th June 2022
0

Eastern Cape grain farmer Sinelizwi Fakade told Cyril Ramaphosa that limited access to funding continued to constrain young farmers. The...

Dr Sifiso Ntombela, chief economist at the National Agricultural Marketing Council and the deputy president of the Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa, David Fincham, founder of David Fincham aquaculture, Najwah Allie-Edries, head of the Jobs Fund at National Treasury of South Africa, Keatlegile Mnguni, AFASA youth desk chairperson, and Grietha van Rensburg, award winning North West sheep farmer. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer 101: Experts clarify agri master plan

by Vateka Halile
3rd June 2022
0

Find out everything you need to know about the Agricultural Agro-processing Master Plan in this Gather to Grow Twitter discussion....

Next Post
Since the outbreak of covid-19, emerging data and reports from those on the front lines, have shown that all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, has intensified. Photo: Supplied

Violence against women intensified during covid-19 lockdown

Justin Platt, founder and CEO of Zylem and RegenZ argues that instead of basing management decisions on a purely rational and cognitive approach, farmers need to harness (and trust) their unique intuition. Photo: Supply/AdobeStock
Food for Thought

Farmers, trust your intuition and go with your gut

by Justin Platt
16th August 2022
0

Farmers are left with the heavy task of ensuring that every decision they make benefits their farming business, workers and...

Read more
Leanne Gammage and Jackson Andrew, co-founders of Masterstock Cape Wild Food. Masterstock Cape Wild Food is a speciality salt brand focused on regenerative agriculture. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Agripreneur 101: Regeneration at the heart of this salt company

16th August 2022

R350 grant puts sisters on agri path to success

15th August 2022
The uMngeni Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal is supporting local farmers through a new agricultural unit that has been established in the municipality. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer support: KZN municipality leads the way

15th August 2022
Farmers in the south-western parts of the country can expect a slightly drier than usual spring. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

ICYMI: Below-normal winter rainfall to continue

15th August 2022

This #SoilSista’s poultry farm puts quality first

Control and prevent downy mildew on crops

Farmers, trust your intuition and go with your gut

Farmer support: KZN municipality leads the way

Drug dealer turned farmer ploughs back

Fixing agri challenges: ‘ANC no longer has a choice’

THE NEW FACE OF SOUTH AFRICAN AGRICULTURE

With 12 global awards in the first three years of its existence, Food For Mzansi is much more than an agriculture publication. It is a movement, unashamedly saluting the unsung heroes of South African agriculture. We believe in the power of agriculture to promote nation building and social cohesion by telling stories that are often overlooked by broader society.

This #SoilSista’s poultry farm puts quality first

Fixing agri challenges: ‘ANC no longer has a choice’

FMD battle: Govt prohibits movement of all cattle

Farmers, trust your intuition and go with your gut

Agripreneur 101: Regeneration at the heart of this salt company

R350 grant puts sisters on agri path to success

  • Our Story
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright

Contact us
Office: +27 21 879 1824
News: info@foodformzansi.co.za
Advertising: sales@foodformzansi.co.za

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought

Copyright © 2021 Food for Mzansi

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.