Free State Agriculture’s President, Francois Wilken, says rural communities and farmers are frustrated with service delivery and infrastructure problems. He adds that ahead of the budget, the Minister said nothing on how basic services will be repaired, other than mentioning infrastructure’s importance to the economy and that it is in need of repair. Wilken says increased minimum wages, Eskom’s tariff hikes, fuel price increases - together with the increased fuel tax - are greater than inflation increases, with very little relief from the 2021 budget. This will push up food prices.

The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's Livestock Improvement Initiative, is currently piloting artificial insemination and synchronisation in the Bojanala Platinum district. This, according to departmental spokesperson Emelda Setlhako. She adds the district has spent almost R1.2 million purchasing start-up resources for farmers. Moreover, a massive 200 breeding cows have already been synchronised and inseminated, with many more to follow.

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Any person living in South Africa needs at least R585 per month to afford enough food to meet the minimum required daily energy intake needed to survive. This is according to agricultural economist, Dr Kobus Laubscher. Laubscher says a recent report from the Child’s Institute of the University of Cape Town provides evidence of debilitating food insecurity among children, where the impact thereof has not been properly quantified. He further adds the only way to prevent this is through educating people to eat the right food and create resources to make food available for more children outside school feeding schemes.

OFM News/Lee Simmons and Blaine Jones