As 2023 was the worst year on record for South Africans enduring power cuts (known as ‘load shedding’), the nation’s fruit industry has had to become more independent and invest considerable resources into ensuring the sustainability of its operations.
Culdevco’s GM, Mishkaat Anderson: “Load shedding causes frequent disruptions in irrigation and refrigeration systems which impacts fruit quality and size, agro-processing, as well as farmer and worker livelihoods – it affects both domestic production and our export competitiveness.”
Some of Culdevco’s fruit tree nurseries have reported a 45% drop in sales due to load shedding as producers have cancelled their planned farm expansions. They also report a doubling of their monthly energy costs as diesel and generators are used to keep operations going.
“Across the industry we are seeing that farmers have to take matters into their own hands and divert considerable resources if they are able into ensuring the survival of their operations,” says Anderson. “In terms of exports and South African harbors, the fruit industry is very involved in ensuring that the harbors are exempt of load shedding, especially during peak season times.
Load shedding solutions such as diesel generators, solar power, lithium batteries and elevated dams for storing water are solutions being discussed and utilized across the agricultural industry, with investment in water elevation being one of the most cost-effective and sustainable investments over the long-term.
Source: farmersreviewafrica.com