South Africa: Farmers leaving country in search of better returns
Around 800 growers have so far crossed over to Mozambique to cultivate their fruit and many more are expected to follow in their footsteps.
Pieter Mulder, deputy minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries and Freedom Front Plus leader, said he was approached in December by the deputy minister of agriculture in Mozambique who was interested in recruiting more farmers to join the South Africans farming there.
Mulder said there were 60,000 commercial farmers 15 years ago. Now there are 37,000.
Theo de Jager, vice president of AgriSA, said such movement was turning the South African agricultural industry upside down.
Bennie van Zyl, GM of the agricultural union TAU SA, issued a caution to growers looking to move and told them to think about things very carefully first.
"Farmers have burnt their fingers and returned," said Van Zyl.
He urged farmers to get agreements in writing and have "all their ducks in a row" before investing elsewhere.
Van Zyl said in addition to the rest of Africa, local farmers are working in Canada and Georgia. He has also received requests from the Ukraine and Croatia.
Source: timeslive.co.za
