While the country is engulfed by the third wave of Covid-19, agricultural organisations are continuing to urge government to prioritise farmers and their farmworkers for the coronavirus vaccine.
The latest plea comes from Free State Agriculture (FSA). The organisation says Covid-19 infections in rural and agricultural communities in this province are on the rise. It is concerned that food security will now be threatened.
FSA president Francois Wilken says the inoculation of the agricultural sector will help them to complete the critical maize harvesting period with minimal interruption.
Also, farmworkers not living on farms do not have the luxury of working from home. They have to travel from surrounding areas, exposing others to the spread of the disease.
Wilken says it is often difficult to observe social distancing in farm work. Often, a farmer and their workers need to perform tasks together.
Also, especially in intensive agricultural enterprises such as poultry, piggeries, horticulture and feedlots, many workers are unavoidably concentrated in small spaces.
He says reports are already indicating that Covid-19 infections and death are increasing in farming communities.
Protect agricultural production
Wilken advises Free State farmers to be extra vigilant with their families and workers and to observe all the Covid-19 protocols when doing unavoidable business in towns. He also urged farmers to get themselves as well as their workers vaccinated.
Food For Mzansi earlier reported that Agri SA also pleaded with government to prioritise farmers and their farmworkers for the vaccine.
In February, another agricultural group, TLU SA, wrote to the former minister of health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, about the same issue.
TLU SA president Henry Geldenhuys says the potential exposure of workers to Covid-19 is significantly high, and it would be harmful if production units had to be placed in isolation in the event of an outbreak.
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