Eskom has been urged to urgently work with local farmers to limit the calamitous impact of load-shedding on food security.

This was raised by Agri SA in a letter to Eskom CEO André de Ruyter, requesting an urgent engagement on the outlook for load-shedding in the coming weeks.

Agri SA said with load-shedding escalating as SA enters the summer crop planting season, the current energy crisis may have implications for food security into the coming year.

This is a likelihood unless farmers could put measures in place to mitigate the effects of load-shedding. Agri SA executive director Christo van der Rheede said electricity is a key agricultural input.

Stats: Agricultural sector spends billions on electricity

According to the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development statistics, the agricultural sector spent approximately R9b on electricity in 2021.

This is more than 7% of the sector’s expenditure on intermediate goods and services.

A reliable power supply is especially critical for the sector’s irrigation and water treatment, said Van Der Rheede.

He said the consequences of load-shedding for the different agricultural commodities are far-reaching, with potentially devastating outcomes. Moreover, he said, the impact of load-shedding extends beyond the blackout.

“It usually takes up to an hour to resume irrigation systems when load-shedding ends, costing farmers time and -incurring additional labour costs. Blackouts also disrupt cooling and packing with ramifications for food quality, and they pose a health hazard for humans and animals alike as they disrupt access to clean water for consumption and stop wastewater treatment.”

For export commodities, the consequences include disruption to cold chain protocols mandated by foreign markets and late shipments, he said.

Van Der Rheede said these outcomes will diminish the country’s standing as a reliable source market. He added that the greatest threat of load-shedding is to the country’s food security.

“As crops fail for lack of irrigation or farmers plant less for fear of losses, the country will only experience the consequences of load shedding in the future as the produce anticipated from this summer’s crop fails to materialise,” he said.

“The result will be food shortages and high prices.” Van Der Rheede said they are aware of the recent announcement that Eskom will approach the market to procure 1 000MW.

However, he said, farmers need to know the plan beyond this initial attempt to stabilise the grid in order to plan for the season ahead.

“Given the magnitude of what’s at stake, Agri SA has approached Eskom for engagement to understand the current challenges and gain some insight into the outlook for the year so the sector can make plans to mitigate the risks, protecting both food consumers and producers,” added Van Der Rheede.

He said that they trust the power utility and government will work with them to avert a food security crisis in addition to the ongoing power crisis.