Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has lauded the efforts of industry bodies Agri SA and the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) to improve critical agricultural transport routes in the Free State.

Agri SA and Agbiz have been piloting a project in the province, together with the departments of Public Works and Infrastructure and Transport to address the critical state of South Africa’s rural road network.

Agri SA has found through its research that farmers rely on road transportation to move 94% of their produce, which means devastating impacts to profitability and operational efficiency when road infrastructure remains deteriorated, especially for emerging farming enterprises.

Steenhuisen says the poor condition of South Africa’s rural roads is a longstanding bottleneck impacting food security, raising production costs and hindering economic growth in rural communities.

“The collaboration by the two agriculture organisations and government is testament to the power of public-private partnerships and their ability to solve complex national challenges.

“The hands-on partnership has used a coordinated approach to planning, funding and implementing road maintenance and repair projects,” Steenhuisen states.

He adds that, by combining the practical expertise of Agri SA and Agbiz with the resources of government to prioritise the most crucial routes for the food value chain, ensures that produce moves efficiently from farm to market.