Subsistence farmers in KwaZulu-Natal say that trying to redeem their Presidential Employment Stimulus Initiative (Pesi) vouchers has been a nightmare. The latest stumbling block is that the province now has only one approved supplier – who is not allowed to sell them animal feed.
Farmers have once again reached out to Food For Mzansi to say that their frustrations with the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development’s programme persist. Launched in December 2020 to safeguard farmers’ businesses through the Covid-19 pandemic, the programme has been riddled with problems such as double charging, product exclusions and some suppliers outright refusing to sell to voucher holders.
The department temporarily suspended the voucher system in January this year to allow officials to sort out problems, but this left farmers in KwaZulu-Natal with even fewer options.
Ntombehle Gumede, a chicken farmer, says that her R12 000 voucher is essentially useless to her. “When you go to the supplier and inform them that you’re there to utilise a Pesi voucher, you’ll be instructed to come back the following week since they don’t have enough stock.
“When you return the next week, they claim that you are permitted to buy pesticides and chicken vaccinations [only]. This is concerning because hens do not ingest medications, but food. Picture a R12 000 voucher wasted like that.”
Pig farmer Sanele Nomboya, too, has long-standing frustrations. Before the temporary suspension, he says, suppliers were double charging him when he tried to redeem his voucher. “Where the [pig grower] feed is R250, we were charged R500.”
Now, after the resumption of the programme, while he desperately needs feed for his animals, the supplier cannot help him. “I called to find out if they have the pig and chicken feed I needed but they told me that the feed is out of stock; I should call them every Monday and Friday to find out if they have feed.”
Despite calling the supplier religiously since the beginning of March, the supplier informed him two weeks ago that the feed is in stock but not available on the voucher system.
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‘Only one supplier was interested’
Departmental spokesperson Reggie Ngcobo tells Food For Mzansi that the supplier was the only one in KwaZulu-Natal who responded to their submission requests. “[They] were the only supplier that responded to the request for suppliers to submit shelf prices as part of the reviewed Pesi implementation.
“The department intends to work with suppliers that have shops only, and this process is still being finalised through the procurement committees in the department.”
Ngcobo says the supplier could not supply feed as animal feed was not part of the supplier’s initially submitted price list.
“The prices had to be approved by [the department] and no late amendments could be accommodated with urgency [after] the initial submission. The new envisaged process will address the supply of all items that were initially approved as part of the [department’s] price list,” Ngcobo says.
For both Nomboya and Gumede, the limited supplier options and exclusion of feed from the goods list hold dire consequences. Gumede feels that more needs to be done to help subsistence farmers on the Pesi programme.
“Despite the fact that the [vouchers] have been renewed, we have not received assistance. We are new farmers who have gotten financial support, but due to the circumstances, this is not helpful. We are urging the government to step in and assist in this situation.”
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