Shell has donated R1-million to Agri South Africa’s (AgriSA) Drought Relief Fund.
This donation comes at a crucial time, as livestock farmers in severely
drought-stricken areas are struggling to keep their animals alive and grain
farmers are beginning their planning for the coming season.
The funds donated by Shell will go towards supporting farmers in Springbok and
surrounding communities in the Namaqualand region of the Northern Cape. This
region has been severely affected by the drought; commercial and small-scale
farmers alike are fighting to save their livestock.
President of AgriSA Johannes Möller
says his organisation has assisted about 12 000 farmers and over 8 657
farmworkers and community members so far this year with drought relief in
severely affected areas, through the contributions received by members of the
public and various companies such as Shell. “All farmers are affected by the
drought — commercial, game, small-scale and red meat producers. In the recent
past Limpopo province was also declared a disaster area, and now even more
donations will be required to bring relief throughout the winter months.”
Shell’s general manager Sales: Commercial Lubricants Anton
Niemann
says: “Throughout Shell’s 113-year history in South Africa,
agriculture has always been a key part of our business focus. We are extremely
proud to have been associated with agriculture for all these years, and we
realise how important a productive and effective agriculture industry is for
the wellbeing and food security of our country.
“One
of our core values as a business is caring for the environment and people where
we have operations. This gesture demonstrates our appreciation for the
agricultural sector, which has been a strategic partner to Shell South Africa
over several years.”
South Africa continues to endure
one of the worst droughts to hit the region in 20 years. Many small farmers are
expected to go out of business as food production prices increase. Niemann says
although government has contributed a significant amount toward drought relief,
“the public sector cannot address this dire situation alone, and additional
support from the private sector is absolutely crucial”.
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