Agriculture industry suffers in light of ongoing protests

Kwanalu, organised agriculture in KZN, is extremely concerned about the number of protests, taking place almost on a daily basis in the rural areas around the province, and the severe impact these are having on the entire agricultural sector.

The severity and regularity of the protests are having a chronic effect on the movability of perishable produce and provision of services to all people living in rural areas. In an already fragile employment climate, the consequences of these strikes are placing even further economic pressure on the sector.

Kwanalu engages continuously with relevant stakeholders in an attempt to minimise the impact on our members’ businesses. We call on the relevant authorities and leadership in the province to step up to ensure that law and order is established and maintained, and to protect and create an enabling environment in which all rural people but particularly the agricultural sector is able to participate in the economy without fear or prejudice.

Kwanalu CEO, Sandy La Marque has emphasised the urgency in bringing stability, law and order to affected areas with the applicable stakeholders, to ensure that the economic viability of agricultural businesses, and the livelihoods of producers and their employees, are not the ongoing victims of protest action.

Kwanalu will be conducting research on the impact, of these protests, directly on the agricultural sector and on communities in order to provide us with real-time, relevant and quantitative facts to support our demands. Kwanalu will be relying on its members to provide factual feedback on the impact of the protests affecting their agricultural and business activities.