“Stock and crop farmers are among some of the hardest hit by the compounding influences of water and thereby feed scarcity combined with the fluctuating heat-waves. The implications of these factors on livestock and the country’s food security cannot be underestimated,” says Dr Klaus Eckstein, Bayer’s CEO and head of the Crop Science Division in Southern Africa. “The consequences of drought not only has a short term impact but the longer term effects will likely be felt long after the drought has ended and it is, therefore, important for us as a community to stand together in trying times.”
Agri SA’s deputy executive director, Christo van der Rheede commented: “Agri SA in partnership with Bayer, seeks not only to mitigate the effects of the drought on our agricultural sector, but also to establish a much longer relationship aimed at growing South Africa’s agriculture output through empowerment and developing farmers for the future.”
“Sustainable agriculture today delivers a level of food safety and security that is unmatched in the history of mankind. Many people take abundant food for granted but the system is fragile, it needs constant innovation and society’s support to ensure that the world has enough to eat. Strengthening and expanding the dialogue around integrated crop solutions including crop protection, seeds, efficient use of resources, capacity creation and forward farming model farms is critical for sustainable food production,” concludes Dr Eckstein.
