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Agriculture

Agri News podcast: Agritourism will benefit from level 1

───   ELSABÉ RICHARD 16:56 Tue, 22 Sep 2020

Agri News podcast: Agritourism will benefit from level 1 | News Article

Agritourism will benefit greatly from level 1 of the lockdown.


Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, Agbiz, says agritourism has been hit hard by the pandemic, along with the wider tourism industry. The agritourism industry includes hunting tourism, rural tourism, wine tourism and nature-based tourism. Sihlobo further adds that these activities provide additional income to farming businesses and create jobs in rural areas. Sihlobo adds that aside from agritourism, the broader agricultural sector has been open for business from the beginning of the lockdown as it was classified as essential.

The ban on the sale of wine in stores and on wine farms during weekends makes no sense. This is according to Agri SA, that reacted to President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent announcement of moving the country to level 1, and that the sale of alcohol will remain prohibited during weekends. Even though the organisation welcomed the announcement of moving the country to level 1, it states that the ban will have a negative impact on the financial sustainability of wine farms - which attract a large number of visitors and tourists, especially over weekends. Agri SA is of the opinion that there is no rational argument for extending the ban, and calls upon the government to revise its decision. This, as the organisation says the tourism industry needs all the support it can get to get back on track after strict Covid-19 rules and regulations gave it a hard knock.

Water storage in the Free State has improved significantly with some dam levels reaching more than 80%. However, the provincial Department of Water and Sanitation warns that there is an anticipated increase in water use as economic activities are being opened with the dropping of national lockdown levels. OFM News' Olebogeng Motse reports the Provincial Head of Free State Operations, Tseliso Ntili, says the fact that most of the Free State water storage system is in a better state as compared to previous years should not breed complacency.



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