Across the country, farmers are reporting major losses as a direct result of ongoing power cuts by Eskom. Losing clients, disturbances in the value chain and business closures are some of the realities for food producers from the country’s load shedding crisis.
North West poultry farmer Kobedi Pilane says the continual power cuts of recent weeks have resulted in him losing one of his biggest clients – Wimpy. He could not deliver the agreed products.
“I had to release some of my employees since losing Wimpy, because I simply cannot afford them. Overall, it is bad. We are really battling.
“Borehole timing is disrupted. Now we have to make sure we fill up tanks manually before we are in the dark. It is a daily stress now. We are getting a drop in production as chickens do not like to feed in the dark.”
Letting go of two of his employees was the hardest thing he has ever had to do, because he knows that finding a job in South Africa in the current economic climate will be extremely hard for them.
‘We cannot be spectators’
Sehularo Sehularo, coordinator of the Northern Cape farmer organisation Saamtrek Saamwerk, says that ongoing power cuts are disturbing the whole agricultural value chain in the country.
“We are really affected by the power cuts. [The effects] are severe on all of us.”
He says some farmers will have to close up shop because of an inability to overcome disruptions to their businesses, and government must prioritise Eskom’s challenges and bring them to an end.
“Failure to do so will lead to South Africa shedding more jobs, not only in our sector but everywhere. We are in a crisis.”
Sehularo calls on farmers to look into solar energy because the national power utility is no longer reliable and could cause more damage to food security.
Pilane agrees. “Although we’re in crisis, we cannot fold our arms and become spectators when our industry and the country is going down the drain. We need to act. Alternative solutions need to be sought by farmers to continue supplying food,” he tells Food For Mzansi.
“I am looking for funds to install a solar system and a solar borehole. All my wall plugs have burnt out because of load shedding. And we’re now using gas to seal the eggs for transport packages.”
ALSO READ: Is SA looking on as Eskom ‘runs itself to the ground’?
Impacts from small to major
Tsholofelo Motlhale farms with vegetables, dried fruits and livestock in the Free State. Ongoing power cuts affect her business in the dry rooms when the drying process is interrupted and produce gets a chance to reabsorb moisture. “Our dry rooms [use] electricity, so during load shedding our produce go back to the state of being moist.”
North West ostrich farmer Kabelo Lekalakala says although he is not directly affected, his heart goes out to fellow farmers and he has major concerns about food security. “I think of farmers in the poultry hatchery business with operations heavily reliant on the current power utility. It is just a load of nightmares what the farmers have to go through.”
Ndivhuho Nengwenani is a serrano chilli pepper farmer in Limpopo and says he opted for solar energy a long time ago because load shedding was compromising his business to the point of possible closure. “It was important for me to look into alternatives. I am into solar systems which helps me to run my business uninterrupted.”
Although Eskom’s stage 4 load shedding of last week has been reduced to stage 2 and then ended this morning (Friday, 12 November), farmers and other South Africans remain alert for more power cuts and its effects on the agricultural sector and South Africa’s struggling economy.
Farmers are urged to heed the call to find alternative sources of energy if they can.
ALSO READ: Get off the grid, warns Blom amid ‘terminally ill Eskom’ woes
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