Load shedding, fuel price spike 'threat to food security'

It says the agricultural sector's facing a double whammy of the intensified rolling blackouts and this week's massive price hikes at the pumps.

The federation's Christo van der Rheede says the load shedding has impacted operations on farms.

"We have learnt from many farmers that their machines break, transformers explode and they cannot pump water during the time slot and they lose out on irrigation or on the money that they have paid for water for irrigation purposes." 

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Van der Rheede says the fuel price increases are adding to the burdens already being carried by the sector.

"The bigger problem obliviously is that farmers cannot pass on that cost to the consumer because farmers are price takers. You can only push consumers to a certain point. After that they will refuse to buy specific products because it has become very expensive. 

"It is important for us that government intervenes and assist us with reducing petrol levy or diesel levy but at the same time push up diesel rebate so that it brings relief for farmers."