Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s government has been accused of recycling its support among a handful of recipients.
Subsistence and small farmers in Gauteng are buckling under pressure, strained by transport costs, escalating crime and erratic government support, and many are on the brink of collapse.
DA member of the provincial legislature Bronwynn Engelbrecht said the provincial government is not protecting the people keeping food on tables.
“Subsistence and emerging farmers are feeding much of Gauteng, and they are the first line of defence against food price hikes,” she said.
“If we do not get support structures, people will lose not only their livelihoods but also their ability to put food on the table.”
The battle for small producers
Transport and fuel costs create significant pressure on small-scale farmers.
“The further you are from the market, the smaller your profit. It is the largest variable cost in moving fresh produce to markets.
“Farmers cannot carry on paying these amounts and still make a living. It is not sustainable,” Engelbrecht said.
She also warned that constant power and water outages due to infrastructure failures are destroying harvests.
“Even short interruptions in supply can wipe out an entire harvest,” she said.
Formal markets, Engelbrecht added, are also often closed off to small producers.
“Markets in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Vereeniging are geared for and conducive to large commercial farmers.
“Small farmers cannot compete. Cash flow is a major concern, and payment delays, market fees, and expensive agents eat away at what little they make.”
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Engelbrecht accused Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s provincial government of recycling its support among a handful of recipients.
“The same people benefit over and over, while others are left out in the cold.
“Government has small programmes where they assist, but they are not effective. If we are serious, we need to bring down the cost of seed, fertiliser, electricity and transport,” she said.
Neighbourhood agri-hubs
She said the DA would push for neighbourhood agri-hubs “within five to 10km of production, with cold rooms, clean water points, packaging benches and secure areas to work.
“That is where government should be focusing.
“We would also implement subsidised market fees for registered smallholders, a provincial prompt payment code for retailers and public scorecards. This would give farmers a fighting chance.”
Engelbrecht also noted that state projects such as the Agribox initiative had failed repeatedly.
“The ANC government provides seed, compost and pesticides, but by the time they arrive, the planting season is over. It is failure piled on failure.”
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