SONA 2023: Voedselsekerheid in die weegskaal sonder onmiddellike optrede teen Eskom | SONA 2023: Food security hangs in the balance without immediate action on Eskom
English to follow:
7 Februarie 2023
President Cyril Ramaphosa lewer dié week sy staatsrede en die enigste manier om voedselsekerheid in Suid-Afrika te waarborg, is ’n aankondiging van onmiddellike optrede deur die regering en Eskom om die verlammende las van beurtkrag op boere te verlig. Sonder dringende optrede kan Suid-Afrikaners in die nabye toekoms mislukte oeste, hoër voedselpryse en tekorte van sekere produkte verwag. ’n Ramptoestand alleen sal nie hierdie bedreiging afweer nie – wat nodig is, is geteikende verligting.
Beurtkrag het tussen Januarie en September 2022 meer as verdubbel in vergelyking met dieselfde tydperk in 2021. As gevolg van hierdie katastrofe het die landbousektor meer as R23 miljard verloor gedurende die nege maande onder oorsig. Hierdie verlies kan in 2023 oorskry word, wat die volhoubaarheid van die sektor en die 800 000 werkgeleenthede wat dit bied, bedreig.
Gegewe die omvang van die bedreiging, het Agri SA ’n skrywe gerig aan die Nasionale Rampbestuursentrum waarin die verreikende implikasies van beurtkrag vir graan, vee, pluimvee, vrugte, groente, suiker, eetbare olies ensomeer uiteengesit word. Hierdie bedrywe staan sentraal in die vermoë van Suid-Afrika om sy mense te voed.
Hoewel beurtkrag nie oornag reggestel kan word nie, is daar kritieke korttermynmaatreëls wat ingestel kan word om die impak daarvan op voedselsekerheid te versag.
Agri SA doen dus ’n beroep op president Ramaphosa om te verseker dat die volgende maatreëls onmiddellik in plek gestel word:
- Verklaar die landbousektor en gepaardgaande waardeketting tot ‘n noodsaaklike dienste;
- Die landbousektor moet gedeeltelik vrygestel word van beurtkrag ná fase 4;
- Maak voorsiening vir hoër kortings op diesel en petrol wat vir elektrisiteitsopwekking gebruik word;
- Wysig die huidige tariefstruktuur om die koste van elektrisiteit tydens spitstye te verminder;
- Handel beurtkragskedules met behulp van ’n plaaslike uitvoerbaarheidstudie (’n vlakbenadering kan gevolg word deur rooi, oranje en groen te gebruik om kritieke gebiede te identifiseer; en
- Brei vragbeperking* vinnig uit na alle landbougebiede wat daarvoor kwalifiseer.
Tensy hierdie maatreëls geïmplementeer word, dreig ’n katastrofe vir die land weens beurtkrag. Boerderybedrywighede sal ontwrig word, aangesien toerusting beskadig word weens kragonderbrekings; die koste van voedselproduksie sal toeneem namate boere gedwing word om teen spitspryse te besproei; en arbeidskoste sal styg weens onreëlmatige werksure gebaseer op beurtkragskedules. Terselfdertyd sal vleisprodusente nie water vir hul vee kan pomp of hul vee en pluimvee kan slag en verwerk nie. Landbouverwerking en kleinhandel sal ook daaronder ly namate verpakkings- en verkoelingsbedrywighede misluk. Die gevolg hiervan vir voedselbekostigbaarheid en beskikbaarheid sal verwoestend wees.
Agri SA, sy lede sowel as waardekettingrolspelers werk reeds saam met ’n verskeidenheid belanghebbendes om die volhoubaarheid daarvan te verseker sodat die bedryf kan voortgaan om Suid-Afrika te voed. Maar die regering moet sy rol speel en die omvang van die bedreiging vir die land erken as voedselsekerheid misluk. President Ramaphosa het die geleentheid om die poging te lei om oplossings te vind; hy moet dit die oë kyk.
Navrae:
Christo van der Rheede
Agri SA, Hoof-uitvoerende Beampte
* Vragbeperking is ‘n reëling wat suksesvol deur Eskom met Bergrivierboere geloods word waar boere, in ruil vir die verlaging van hul elektrisiteitsverbruik wanneer Eskom hulle vra, nie beurtkrag kry nie. Lees meer hier.
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7 February 2023
As President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his State of the Nation Address this week, the only way to guarantee food security in South Africa will be an announcement of immediate action by government and Eskom to relieve the crippling burden of loadshedding on farmers. Without urgent action, South Africans can expect crop failure, higher food prices and shortages of certain food products in the near future. A state of disaster alone will not avert this threat – what is required is targeted relief.
Loadshedding more than doubled between January and September 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. As a result of this catastrophe, the agricultural sector lost more than R23 billion during the nine-month period under review. This loss could be exceeded in 2023, threatening the sustainability of the sector and the 800,000 jobs it provides.
Given the magnitude of the threat, Agri SA has submitted a letter to the National Disaster Management Centre which details the far-reaching implications of loadshedding for grains, livestock, poultry, fruit, vegetables, sugar, edible oils, etc.. These industries are central to the ability of South Africa to feed its people.
While loadshedding cannot be fixed overnight, there are critical short-term measures that can be put in place to mitigate its impact on food security.
Agri SA therefore calls on President Ramaphosa to ensure the following measures are put in place immediately:
- Declare the agricultural sector and associated value chain an essential service;
- Partially exempt the agricultural sector from load-shedding beyond stage 4;
- Allow for higher rebates on diesel and petrol used for electricity generation;
- Amend the current tariff structure to reduce the cost of electricity during peak times;
- Trade load-shedding schedules using a local feasibility study (a tiered approach can be taken, using red, orange, and green to identify critical areas); and
- Rapidly expand load curtailment* to all agricultural areas which qualify in terms of the user mix.
Unless these measures are implemented, a catastrophe looms for the country because of loadshedding. Farming operations will be disrupted as equipment is damaged due to power failures; the cost of food production will increase as farmers are forced to irrigate at peak prices; and labour costs will soar due to irregular work hours based on loadshedding schedules. At the same time, meat producers will be unable to pump water for their cattle or to slaughter and process their livestock and poultry. Agro-processing and retail will also suffer as packing and cooling operations fail. The result of all this for food affordability and availability will be devastating.
Agri SA, its members as well as value chain role players are already working with a range of stakeholders to ensure its sustainability so we can continue to feed South Africa. But government must play its part, recognising the magnitude of the threat to the nation if food security fails. President Ramaphosa has the opportunity to lead the effort to find solutions; he must take it.
Enquiries:
Christo Van der Rheede
Agri SA, Chief Executive Officer
Kabelo Kgobisa
* Load curtailment is an arrangement successfully piloted by Eskom with Berg River farmers where, in exchange for lowering their electricity usage when Eskom asks them to, farmers do not get loadshedding. Read more here.
