‘Poor roads affect South Africa’s food security’

South Africa’s deteriorating road network emerged as one of the most limiting factors to farmers remaining sustainable and profitable, irrespective of the size of their farming operations, delegates were told at the recent 2022 Grain SA congress.

According to Pieter Taljaard, CEO of Grain SA, the fact that farmers from all corners of the country found, in many cases, that it was virtually impossible to transport products to markets, grain storage facilities and their closest towns, already affected the profitability of the broader farming sector. It also posed a serious hazard to human life.

“If the situation isn’t addressed as a matter of urgency, [it] could in the short and medium terms have a paralysing effect on the entire agricultural value chain. Although farmers are more than prepared, or rather, they don’t have much of a choice but to take care of the roads themselves, there are a number of factors limiting them in doing so. The fact of the matter is that the roads pose a danger to every motorist who has to [use] them,” Taljaard said.

Speaking at a news conference during the congress, he stressed that farmers could be held liable for accidents and losses that occurred on roads that had not been constructed by the relevant state departments. The exorbitant costs of road repairs also placed this task beyond the reach of farmers.

Derek Mathews, Grain SA president, added that while public-private partnerships was one of the latest buzz phrases in the country, government needed to create an enabling policy environment for these to be successful. “We recently undertook a comprehensive road trip through the country, and while the majority of the roads by far were in a deplorable condition, the Free State’s roads were the worst.

“We need the state to accommodate the farming community through the implementation of [measures that] would make it possible for farmers to address the matter. Food security and human lives are at stake,” he said.

Free State Agriculture (FSA) bemoaned the fact that, amid the road crisis in the province, a road maintenance grant of R45,2 million from National Treasury to the province had been cancelled in February. Francois Wilken, FSA president, said in a statement that the decision had been “reckless and totally unacceptable”.

He called for an explanation of the matter. – Annelie Coleman

FW ARCHIVE Many farmers across South Africa are finding it virtually impossible to transport products to markets, grain storage facilities and their closest towns.