Thank you, farmers!

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had a negative impact on businesses and economies worldwide. While many people have been told to stay at home to prevent the spread of the disease, essential workers, such as doctors, nurses, cashiers and rubbish collectors, have continued going to work to ensure that basic services are delivered. Amongst these essential employees are farmers and farmworkers. Farming is a thankless job, and farmers have often been the scapegoat for global warming and climate change. However, if there is a silver lining to the COVID-19 cloud, it is that society has slowly begun to realise the importance of farmers.

In honour of farmers and farmworkers across the globe, Farmer’s Weekly has included some of the #thankafarmer tweets from the social media platform Twitter. #Thankafarmer was trending on Earth Day on 22 April. The hashtag was to show gratitude to and solidarity with farmers, and recognise not only their importance in providing food, but also the advancements made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the process of producing vital commodities.

Farmer’s Weekly will continue to support all farmers and farmworkers, and offers its gratitude for the good work they continue to do! @ AlliBurenheide: To the #farmers and #ranchers, we thank you! Thank you for your resilience, strength, and fight to keep #feeding the world! @CarolKit2010: Thank you to everyone in the food value chain. For too long we have taken our strong, safe, food system for granted. Hopefully, that won’t be the case any longer. @lambflorence07: I stand with farmworkers […] as they keep working to ensure we have food on our tables during the pandemic. @CortevaAU: When times get tough, the tough keep growing. Let’s come together to #ThankAFarmer for all their unyielding devotion to grow our food and ensure we all move on to greener pastures. @FoodLoversMkt: Farmers are more than just our friends; they’re our heroes. You’ve helped us to deliver the best in fresh produce to our customers every day. Thank You. Dankie. Enkosi.

The RSA Group specialises in the sales and marketing of fresh produce on behalf of farmers. CEO Jaco Oosthuizen posted the following letter on the group’s website:

Dear Farmers,

The world has entered a unique period in its history, and none of us has a rulebook to follow.

No matter who you are or where you live, the ramifications of what’s happening today will be felt for a very long time.

But right now, everyone is battling to cope with immediate circumstances, and anxiety levels are extremely high. People are afraid for their health and the danger posed by the coronavirus disease, and they are just as worried about whether they will be able to continue to access food and vital supplies today and tomorrow.

Within this ever-changing scenario, what you and your employees are doing right now, on your farms, is making a massive difference to everyone in the country, from individual citizens to families. You have answered President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to national action. You have also ensured that the vision of the food value chain being able to deliver enough safe and nutritious food to all South Africans during lockdown is a reality. I’d like to thank you for the huge effort you’re putting in to make sure South Africans continue to have access to fresh produce during this time of crisis.

Without your efforts, our people wouldn’t be nearly as strong as they currently are.

Offering support

I’d also like to assure you that everyone at RSA Group is working 24/7 to make sure we keep the markets, including export channels and direct sales to retail distribution centres, running smoothly and efficiently, so that your efforts are supported and your businesses have every opportunity to stay active and sustainable in the midst of the uncertainty.

We are extremely grateful for your incredible efforts, and we’re working hard to match you every step of the way!

‘ Farmers are more than just our friends; they’re our heroes’