“Don’t transgress Covid-19 laws” – MEC warns farmers
R1,2 billion has been made available for the department to assist farmers back on their feet after the lockdown.
Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs MEC, Vusi Shongwe, has cautioned farmers that law enforcement agencies will start raiding farms which infringe national lockdown laws.
Shongwe said this when he announced the availability of farms that government has allocated for farmers to mitigate the negative impact of the lockdown.
He said issues of hygiene in farms and among farm owners and workers should not be compromised.
“Farms largely deal with food production and we cannot compromise the safety of consumers,” he said.
He also mentioned on safety measures related to transportation of farm workers to ensure maximum safety to stop the further spread of the coronavirus.
He encouraged smallholder and subsistence farmers in communal areas to apply for funding aimed at alleviating the impact caused by the outbreak of Covid-19.
R1,2 billion has been made available for the department to assist farmers back on their feet after the lockdown.
Application forms have been made available from April 8 on www.dalrrd.gov.za and through National, Provincial, District and Local offices of both the National and Provincial Departments of Agriculture. Applications must be submitted electronically at applications@dalrrd.gov.za or alternatively submitted at provincial offices.
