Aid to small farmers helped food security

THE SUSTAINED food production in South Africa amid the outbreak of Covid-19 showed the resilience of our agricultural industry.

The widespread speculation that many people were going to die of hunger rather than through contracting the virus itself, saw millions of people swarm the shops to stockpile on essential goods.

Many suspected that our food reservoirs would not have coped during the outbreak and as a result, this saw many consumers resort to rampant hoarding.

When it was announced that the coronavirus has hit our shores, many South Africans panicked. This clearly indicated that many of us did not have confidence in the South

African food supply chain structures. The shelves presented a scary sight and social media platforms went berserk with misinformation on how consumers would suffer as a result of imminent food shortages.

The government made constant announcements that we must not panic-buy, because our food banks have enough stock for everyone to buy in amid Covid-19.

The government through the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform acted swiftly to fortify the agricultural sector by announcing a R1.2 billion Covid-19 relief fund to assist small farmers to continue producing food during the pandemic.

This not only assisted farmers but also ensured food security for all. The Covid-19 relief funds are being disbursed through vouchers worth up to R50 000 to local farmers, and it was heart-warming to witness Gauteng’s agriculture MEC Morakane Mosupyoe handing over some of the vouchers to Gauteng farmers.