The agricultural sector –
in conjunction with the
Department of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries
(Daff) and members of the
logistics industry – has set
up a logistics coordinating
team to ensure South Africa
is equipped to handle the
additional import of up
to 10.9 million tonnes of
agricultural produce.
Briefing media last
week on the country’s
readiness to import maize
and other commodities,
Minister of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries,
Senzeni Zokwana, pointed
out that with the drought
affecting South Africa’s
local output, 10.9 million
tonnes of maize and other
commodities such as soya
and wheat would need to be
imported.
This includes the
predicted regional needs
from landlocked countries
such as Zimbabwe, Lesotho,
Namibia, Botswana and
Swaziland. South Africa
needs to import up to six
million tonnes of yellow
and white maize to meet its
domestic needs alone.
Zokwana said ports
should be used as
throughput areas and not
as storage points, to ensure
the creation of space.
“Transnet will allocate
addition trailers to match
the needed capacity,” he
said.
He added that Daff had
allocated R305.3m for
drought relief.
CAPTION: Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Senzeni Zokwana.
