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Agri SA urges Minister to find a speedy resolution to the ongoing Transnet strike

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AGRI-SA farmers have urged the Minister of Agriculture Land Reform and Rural Development to find a speedy resolution to the ongoing Transnet strike.

The minister attended the Agri SA annual conference held in Pretoria on Friday. The sector says the strike is threatening its sustainability.

Farmers say the industrial action is also hampering the fresh produce market and could potentially lead to job losses if not resolved quickly.

The agricultural organisation, Agri SA, says the sector is heavily impacted by the country’s failing infrastructure. 
And the ongoing rolling blackouts by Eskom.

The sector also notes with concern the current wage dispute at Transnet.

Agri SA President Jaco Minaar said, “The load shedding is really influencing us a lot. Our farmers are struggling to irrigate in the warm weather that we are currently having for agriculture.”

The current amendments to the expropriation bill have added another layer of uncertainty in this sector.
The government says it has been amending the expropriation bill. It says this is to include the public’s interest as prescribed by the law.

At the same time, Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza says the government is working around the clock to solve the wage dispute at Transnet.

“What we have done, having listened to all parties, is really to encourage them to go back and negotiate and actually resolve this matter because of its impact on the economy as a whole,” says Didiza.

Addressing farmers at the summit, Eskom Chief Operations Officer Jan Obolholzer said that its system continues to be unpredictable and unreliable.

According to Oberlholzer, Eskom is aware of the sector’s role in the country and the impact the power cuts have on the industry. But- like everyone else, the sector needs to understand that, unfortunately, the risk of rolling blackouts remains.

“Look, I’ve made it very clear to them that we’re going through a tough time and that our system is not that reliable and unpredictable the way, we want it, and I also said to them that I believe that the risk of load shedding remains for at least another 12 to 18 months.”

At the same time, economists say the country’s infrastructure backlog is affecting the sector’s export potential. 
The agricultural sector exports half of its produce annually. And last year, the sector’s exports amounted to over 12 billion dollars.

“The road infrastructure is the railway line and I think that it is starting to have a good and constructive conversation between Transnet and the agricultural players’ pathway with this export drive,” says Agbiz Chief Economist, Wandile Sihlobo.

The agricultural sector is hit by multiple local and global challenges, such as steep increases in input costs, challenges in logistics, foot and mouth disease, amongst others. However, the sector remains hopeful amid a slew of turbulence.

Farmers fear Transnet strike will harm their industry:

 

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