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Bias alleged in drought aid
The millions of Rands the government has set aside for drought relief has pitted farmer against farmer and sparked fears of food price increases. Despite Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan pledging nearly R500-million in drought relief to farmers in his medium-term budget speech last week, commercial farmers are accusing the government of bias.
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Commercial farmers and their associations are accusing the government of ignoring their plight and of instead focusing solely on "emerging" and subsistence farmers.
Mass-culling
According to Agri SA's deputy executive director, Christo van der Rheeder, South Africa has lost 15% of its livestock because of increased slaughtering necessitated by the drought. "We have reports of farmers mass-culling. They have no choice. If they do not they will be wiped out financially."
Van der Rheeder said that so far the culls had mainly been of "noncore" livestock. "The problem [will come] when there are no non-core herds left to cull. Some farmers have herds of 3,000 animals.
"When that happens, food prices will skyrocket. In February food inflation peaked at 7% because of the drought.
"December will be a horror story, especially with the price of meat rising."
Aid only for emerging farmers
Van der Rheeder said commercial farmers should get drought relief. "Last month Deputy Agriculture Minister Bheki Cele made it clear to Agri SA and other stakeholders that government aid would only be for emerging farmers. "What Cele does not realise is that commercial farmers feed the nation," he said.
Van der Rheeder said the government initially made R300-million available to provincial agriculture departments to purchase fodder and drill boreholes, but none went to commercial farmers. "We need state guarantees for farmers who have suffered huge losses due to the drought and are unable to get Landbank loans to rebuild their herds," he said.
Department of Agriculture denies bias
The Department of Agriculture has denied bias. "This is about food security. I do not care about the farmer's colour or size. As long as he grows food for the country I will help," said the department's director-general Mike Mlengana.
"Subsistence farmers we help do not get free handouts. The money they get is to make them into future commercial farmers and on the fields to plough."
He said the department was aware of the plight of the commercial farmers and will work hard to get them the help they need.
Source: The Times
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