Friday, 5 July 2024, marked 100 days without the disruptive effect of load shedding in Mzansi. The break in power cuts has been a relief for farmers and agricultural enterprises, however, farmers question if it is truly over and if there is a need for alternative energy sources.
Many agricultural role players share the same sentiments that power cuts can disrupt every stage of agricultural production, leading to financial losses and long-term negative impacts on both crop and livestock farming.
Hope at last
Renewable energy expert Sampson Mamphweli said an unreliable power supply can deter investment in advanced agricultural technologies and infrastructure.
“Yes, I believe that the end of load shedding is on the horizon. We just have to go through winter and then the beginning of summer, thereafter we will see the end of load shedding.
“There is a big need for alternative sources of energy, mainly to deal with the rising cost of electricity; alternative energy sources are becoming cheaper,” he said.
According to Mamphweli, many farmers have had to invest in alternative energy sources such as generators and solar panels. Mamphweli encourages farmers and stakeholders to continue investing in them.
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Meanwhile, the communications manager at Groote Post Winery in the Western Cape, Peter Pentz, shared the frustrations load shedding has had on the wine farm.
“It is obviously a big relief for us, from a cost point of view. With the power going on and off, some of our machinery and appliances got damaged.”
Pentz expressed his hesitancy to trust that load shedding is over and insists the government look to renewable energy sources.
“One is thankful, but then again, it is quite ironic because a constant energy supply is a basic need that needs to be supplied by the government. I truly hope that we have passed the worst of it, let us look at sustainability for the future because people are skeptical about how long this is going to last.
“I do not know how viable the current solutions are. We need to start investing in alternative power solutions. I hope the load shedding will not come back when it is summer because then the pumps must run everyday. I hope our government can sort everything out with Eskom,” he said.
Continuous power needed after winter
Martin van Rooi of Boerdery Onderbegin, a grape farmer in Upington, Northern Cape, said he is hopeful that the power cut hiatus continues after winter as that is when they rely on energy for the irrigation pumps.
“It is uncertain whether South Africa is officially out of the dark but it is clear that a continuous supply of energy is a necessity and greatly impacts productivity in the agricultural industry,” he said.
In his weekly letter, President Cyril Ramaphosa this week said the electricity system remains vulnerable and South Africans cannot yet rule out the possibility of further load shedding.
“This improvement is also a boost to the national economy, which is reliant on the availability and reliability of electricity supply for growth. There is cause for optimism that business and investor confidence will improve.
“We are committed to continue and complete the far-reaching structural reforms we started during the sixth administration to resolve the immediate electricity supply challenges and lay the groundwork for energy security into the future,” he said.
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