My wish list for 2024

Although we are excited that 2024 is almost upon us, with a new slate, we have to acknowledge that it is likely to be another challenging year. In this issue of Farmer’s Weekly, we include interviews and letters from agricultural role players and leaders about their hopes for agriculture for the new year (from page 34). As such, I thought I should include my own wishes for the sector in 2024.

First, I hope to see some improvement in road and port infrastructure. South Africa’s roads are falling apart, and the inefficiencies at ports are making it more and more difficult for exporters to ship their produce. As the overseas market is essential for many of our agricultural commodities, the inefficiency at these ports is bad news for farmers and exporters alike. Farmers cannot improve efficiencies at the ports, but I hope that the relevant authorities can implement some of the strategies they have touted as a solution to improve our ports in 2024. We also need government and local authorities to tackle the upgrading and maintenance of our roads far more vigorously.

I also hope to see some movement on the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAPMP), which according to various role players, has fallen largely flat since its launch. As with everything, a strategy and plan are only as good as their implementation. The AAPMP is a good strategy that encompasses the sector well; all we need is sufficient political will and backing to see the proper implementation of the master plan. Without this, the plan is dead in the water.

Further, I hope to see some action regarding load-shedding. As South Africans, we have come to accept that load-shedding will be with us for some time to come, but the impact this has had on already struggling farmers should be a matter of national concern. Farmers produce food, and access to food is the fabric of society. Nothing destroys unity and breaks a society as quickly as a lack of food. Load-shedding is thus a threat to social cohesion, and its impact on farmers must be taken far more seriously than it has been up to this point. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has made mention of Minister Thoko Didiza being in discussion with relevant authorities and government departments to somehow lower the impact of load-shedding on our farmers, but none of this has led to any significant change or even an action plan in this regard. I hope to see some real action when it comes to this issue in 2024.

Finally, I would like to see a change in the political and societal narrative when it comes to the importance of farmers. Farmers, whether white, black, Asian, or any other race, are not the enemy of the people. They should not be used as scapegoats to distract from the poor work of government or to lend credence to the climate change narrative that agriculture is ‘bad’ for society. Farmers should be appreciated for the work they do under difficult circumstances, and they should be offered as much support as we as a society can provide.

On that note, on behalf of the Farmer’s Weekly team, I would like to wish all of our readers a wonderful and prosperous 2024! As always, we will be here to support farmers, agriculturalists and other agriculture role players throughout the year.