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SA’s food security, economic growth at risk if rural infrastructure not improved: KWANALU

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Organised agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal fears that the country’s food security and economic growth are at risk if the rural infrastructure isn’t improved urgently.

A comprehensive survey by the KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union (KWANALU) has shown that three out of four farmers experience poor conditions on roads in rural areas which are used daily for transporting their products.

Only half of the farmers say roads are being repaired, but most of them said the repairs were inadequate.
This finding forms part of a national survey which showed that this is a crisis affecting the agricultural sector countrywide.

One such road is the P8-3 linking the farming community with Creighton in the south of KwaZulu-Natal. Both farmers and community members say the road is dangerous because it is narrow and has potholes.

KWANALU says a survey among its over 40 000 members shows that the poor state of roads in the province is threatening food security and hampering economic growth. As this prevents farmers from expanding their operations because of the cost of collecting and supplying goods and services.

The union’s CEO Sandy La Marque says, “We approached every single one of our associations and all of the districts of KwaZulu-Natal and we asked them what is the state of the roads in your area and 76%  said the roads are in poor condition.”

“That is a lot to have to deal with in a rural context. We have producers that are producing food for this country and we really are a breadbasket. Road infrastructure directly impacting on the opportunity for those commodities, [and for] those producers to grow their crops. The employment opportunities are stifled because they are unable to move goods and services clearly one can’t expand the operation,” explains La Marque.

In January, farmers across the Free State pleaded with the government to attend to the poor state of roads in the province.

Farmers said heavy rains have led to road degradation and made their work difficult as they cannot transport their goods and services.

Soutpan farmer, Martin Nel said the R703 connecting Brandfort, Soutpan, Dealsville and Verkeerdevlei needs urgent attention.

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