Mzansi’s chicken, wheat, sunflower, maize, and sugarcane farmers are cautiously optimistic after the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) predicted a better year for these commodities. Through the years they’ve learnt, though, that farming comes with many curveballs – often out of their control.
A poultry farmer from Warrenton in the Northern Cape, Nqobile Khumalo, says while 2022 ended on a good note, a few worrying factors continue to haunt her.
“Poultry farming relies on electricity,” she stresses. “With load shedding, it is very difficult to operate the type of business we are doing. From the arrival of the chicks, the process of raising them, and slaughtering them until it reaches the customer. It all needs electricity which is not reliable now.”
South Africa is currently gripped by an electricity crisis with the state-owned Eskom cutting power for up to nine hours a day. President Cyril Ramaphosa was due to meet with farmers today in Bloemfontein to address this, but the meeting was cancelled last night.
Khumalo adds, “So, the year does look promising [in terms of market demand]. However, us – as small-scale farmers – we are feeling the pinch with expenses of getting back-up electricity like generators, but we remain hopeful.”
A North West egg producer, Kobedi Pilane, is also hopeful that 2023 will be a better year. “It is indeed true. Poultry will flourish, especially commercial poultry,” he says.
Sunny year for sunflowers?
Meanwhile, Khumo Molamu, a sunflower farmer from Weltevrede in North West, believes sunflowers will be a hot commodity in 2023. A lot needs to be done, though, to ensure that the industry thrives and creates jobs – not only in the year ahead, but in the long run.
“Yes, it’s true that sunflowers will do well in the coming year. However, there are measures to be taken to ensure that the sector thrives and creates more employment. Black landowners who have title deeds, but do not have means to work the land needs more support.”
Molamu says, “The funding institutions should not only look at providing seeds, fertiliser, pest control… They should provide tractors and implements for the farmers to yield better tonnages.”
Sugar industry hangs in the balance
In terms of sugarcane production, KwaZulu-Natal’s Hawu Mbatha says although forecasts indicate that this industry would do well, the reality was that farmers were struggling to make ends meet.
“Nobody, including banks and government, is interested in helping us with inputs in this industry,” he laments. “Our farms were hit by frost three years ago. Last year we were hit by floods. All my roads and bridges were washed away. I could not harvest some fields because I cannot access them.”
Mbatha had to lay off workers because of this. Furthermore, with up to 43% of sugar cane in Mzansi currently sourced from black farmers and black-owned land, the future looks less rosy after Tongaat Hulett went into business rescue last year.
“There is a general stress that has hit the agricultural economy. There is not going to be much stability in agriculture unless government intervenes seriously and more meaningfully.
“I have been in the industry for more than 22 years and I can tell you this industry has never been as stressful as it is today. While the industry is still faced with diesel, fertiliser, electricity, chemicals, and security costs, the government talks about sugar tax on a dying industry,” he concludes.
Joining forces
Saamtrek Saamwerk’s Northern Cape chairperson Sehularo Sehularo meanwhile believes farmers in most commodities can do well if they work together.
“The environment must be conducive. This should be a year of public-private partnerships. We all must come up with a plan to save the economy of the country. The investment must start locally before we go globally. However, we cannot secure investment in a shattered economy and amid uncertainty,” he says.
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