The North Coast’s three sugar mills are set to resume operations today (September 9) after being shut by wage protests for almost four weeks, reports the North Coast Courier.

Parties reportedly reached an agreement on wage negotiations yesterday (September 8), marking the end of the industrial action. Finer details on the agreement are still unclear.

Employees are expected to report for duty tomorrow morning, with startup plans for each mill to be communicated once finalised.

While the strike was ongoing, farmers supplying mills at Maidstone, Gledhow and Amatikulu had no way to process their crop during what should have been peak milling season, adding further pressure to an already struggling industry.

Growers warned prolonged closures could threaten the survival of many operations, particularly after the impact of Tongaat Hulett’s business rescue process, disruptions by anti-migrant movements, a low recoverable value (RV) price, cheap sugar imports and drought conditions.

The local protests formed part of national industrial action by mill workers demanding across-the-board wage increases, transport and housing allowances, medical aid contributions and paid monthly standby hours.

As third parties to the dispute, sugarcane farmers could do little but hope for a swift settlement.

With their income cut off, the knock-on effects were significant. Cane cutters were sitting idle without pay and farmers feared workers would leave before mills reopened and harvest resumed.

Speaking before the wage agreement, Doringkop farmer Basil Oellermann said the situation had put him in the worst position he had faced in 31 years of farming.

He had delivered only about half the crop expected by September to Gledhow Mill and said he believed growers were unlikely to make up the backlog before the crushing season ends in December.

While uncut cane can be carried between seasons if milling is impossible, Oellermann said this increases the risk of Eldana, a damaging sugarcane pest, while protecting the crop against infestation brings additional costs.

Oellermann said lower than average rainfall had also stunted his sugarcane growth this year, adding further pressure to his operation.

Further north, Amatikulu small-scale grower representative Eric Ntuli criticised the timing of the strike, saying smaller farmers have little recourse to recover lost revenue.

Ntuli said he fears Tongaat Hulett could close more mills if they become unprofitable. He said a potential closure of Amatikulu Mill would threaten many small-scale operations in the area because growers could not afford to transport their cane to more distant mills.

SA Canegrowers director Pratish Sharma, who similarly spoke to the North Coast Courier before the wage agreement, highlighted losses from cane deterioration and arson.

He said cane burnt and cut shortly before the strike had been left in fields to deteriorate, while larger quantities had been lost to arson, particularly in Amatikulu.

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