TAU seeks meeting with Basa as concerns over farmers mount
The Transvaal Agricultural Union has requested a meeting with the Banking Association of South Africa to discuss ways in which the banking sector could help ease the financial pressure on farmers.
Many farmers are facing financial ruin due to the continuous drought in several parts of the country.
The union’s Louis Meintjies says producers are under extreme pressure due to unpredictable weather patterns.
"We believe that there needs to be some sort of help towards the farmers to get over this problem and for them to stay on the farm, so that we can have continuous production on the farm.
"We can't penalise the farmers because there is climatic conditions that force them out of production and also for the sake of rural development, we need the farmers on the farm.”
Meintjie warns that the situation could put South Africa’s food security in jeopardy.
"The country is busy losing some of the best farmers in the world because of this situation which is completely out of their hands."
The union says it has sent a letter to the association and believes it will agree to the meeting.