Chronic road conditions threaten KZN’s agricultural sector and food stability
KwaZulu-Natal’s agricultural sector, the second-largest contributor to South Africa’s agricultural GDP, accounting for 21% of agricultural GDP in 2024 (Stats SA), is facing rapidly escalating operational costs as road networks across the province continue to collapse, says the KZN Agricultural Union (Kwanalu).
According to Kwanalu members, across all agricultural commodities and throughout KZN, despite three years of repeated documented attempts by farmers, agri-tourism operators and rural communities to report and engage with authorities, little progress has been made, with many areas experiencing worsening and even dire and life-threatening conditions.
Farmers have reported a massive rise in transport-related costs; including surcharges applied by transportation companies due to poor road conditions, escalating vehicle and machinery maintenance costs, delays in receiving inputs and moving produce, and higher insurance and replacement costs linked directly to road-related damages, with the result is significant downtime, lost productivity and poor economies of scale for the already pressurized agricultural sector.
“The ongoing collapse of rural road infrastructure is eroding the competitiveness of KZN’s agricultural sector, increasing production costs and undermining the ability of farmers to get goods to market reliably. This has direct consequences on the broader provincial economy,” says Kwanalu CEO, Sandy La Marque.
Road failures are being reported across multiple districts in the province, including Eston, Kamberg, Creighton, Ixopo, Underberg, Giants Castle, Eshowe and many more areas, with numerous high-traffic agricultural routes connecting farms to markets and essential services becoming increasingly dangerous and unreliable.
“There are enormous knock-on effects – inputs and feed costs more to deliver, surcharges are automatically added and we’ve had vehicles roll – including milk tankers and pig lorries. When that happens, it’s not just damage to trucks. It’s food wastage. Those pigs are euthanised, that milk is lost, and these costs ultimately work their way through the value chain to the consumer,” says Kamberg farmer Stephen Butt.
In Eston, a predominantly sugarcane-producing region, farmers have highlighted the deterioration of key routes such as the R603 which links the N3 with the KZN South Coast, and surrounding district roads.
“Some sections haven’t seen maintenance in months, no grading, drainage work, pothole repairs and verge clearing. On key routes like the R603, sugarcane is spilling off trucks because the road surface is so broken,” said a member of the Beaumont Eston Farmers Association.
Across the province, farmers report having to conduct road maintenance themselves at significant cost and time loss. This includes filling potholes with quarry at their own expense, grading district roads using private machinery, and clearing verges to keep routes passable.
“These tasks divert essential resources away from production activities and place additional financial strain on farming operations already under pressure,” says La Marque.
Despite providing reports, photos, correspondence and repeated follow-ups, farmers say they receive little response or accountability from local authorities, with many maintenance requests going unanswered for extended periods.
“We report issues week after week, yet there is little to no response. Calls, emails and WhatsApps go unanswered and we are constantly redirected with no clear accountability. The lack of feedback or meaningful progress makes it extremely difficult to plan, operate and keep our businesses moving,” says Lee Pedlar, Director of Avogrow.
“Functional rural roads are essential to the economic stability of KZN’s agricultural sector. The continued collapse of provincial and district road networks threatens food security, farm viability, job creation and the sustainability of rural communities. Agriculture cannot operate without reliable access routes,” says La Marque.
Kwanalu urges and calls upon government to prioritise rural road rehabilitation and routine maintenance.
“Urgent, coordinated intervention is required to stabilise the situation. Without immediate action, the long-term damage to the sector and to the provincial economy will be severe,” says La Marque.
The KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union, Kwanalu, is a representative organisation voice of the rural and agricultural sectors in the province. Its viewpoints are based on submissions from its members, and it is committed to a sustainable and profitable future for Agriculture within KwaZulu-Natal and the greater South Africa.
For more information on Kwanalu, visit www.kwanalu.co.za or call 033 342 9393.
