Farmers in the Western Cape said they don’t know how long they will be able to sustain their operations while dealing with the effects of the power supply issues.
Power cuts – planned and unplanned – have become a regular occurrence and a headache for everyone in the country.
Farmers seek help to save jobs and food production.
Whernit Dirks said his farm came to a complete standstill when load shedding hits.
“They have to stand sometimes still because of doing a job that we have to do with electricity. On this farm, you hope in the morning when you stand up that nothing breaks that needs welding. Because if you have to weld and the electricity is gone you can’t weld.”
He said this is very frustrating and causes disruptions to the farming chain.
“So now you are 2/3 weeks behind for spreading top dressing because companies that can’t mix the fertilizer and deliver it to the farmers. We’ve got a lot of frustration in our farming industry.”
Dirks said the power cuts have led to him having to dip into his savings to keep the farm afloat.
But he said he has run out of money and cannot afford any more extra costs.
-EWN
In other news – Photos: Singer Nokwazi gets married to the love of her life in a beautiful wedding
South African House music singer and songwriter Nokwazi Dlamini has married the love of her life. Nokwazi and her long-time partner Bongani Hlatshwayo tied the knot over the weekend.
The 44-year-old singer shared the good news on Instagram on Friday, 8 July. Nokwazi from Pietermaritzburg, KZN, posted beautiful photos of their traditional wedding where they wore traditional attires. Learn More
