Limpopo’s agricultural industries remain a life-saver in these tough economic times, but further investments are needed to create much-needed jobs. The agricultural sector has proven itself as a steady source of employment in Limpopo in a time in which 139,000 people lost their jobs.
However, Limpopo recorded a 10% decline in employment, which is the highest of all provinces. The sector now calls for further investment into agriculture to
create much-needed jobs. For this, government buy-in is essential, says Agri Limpopo chief executive Deidre Carter. Agri Limpopo is concerned about municipal decline and the Eskom power cuts.
Ms Carter has told foodformzansi.co.za that the contribution of Limpopo’s agricultural sector has been highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic. “[This is…] especially with respect to the well-being of the people and its contribution to the economy, job opportunities and export earnings.” According to Carter a number of issues endangering current and future agricultural and agro-processing must be addressed by government. This includes Eskom’s power outages, failing infrastructure (water, electricity and roads), as well as delays in the expansion and development of new infrastructure.