The love of money is not the root of all evil. Ignorance is. If we could know and feel the consequences of our actions we would change what we say and do.
The weekend brought news of another new-on-the-land project which has ended in great suffering for animals. Livestock had been without food and water for a number of days. Pigs began eating other pigs. Sheep, goats and ducks had also died. The farm was owned by the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Thandi Modise. Find the story here. Her explanation is that the farm manager was given leave and the replacement had not turned up. Modise is reported as saying: "I am not a farmer. I am trying to farm. I am learning. But if you are a woman and you are learning you are not allowed to make mistakes."
This is not about a lack of agricultural skills. If those involved were aware of the pain caused by their thoughtlessness there would not be this scandal. This is a failure in management and a gross failure of follow through and responsibility. And is the subsequent political point scoring by opposition parties doing any good? We're getting stuck here. The animals are forgotten and it's all about us.
Come on! We can do better than this.
This was the initial blog of The Agri Handbook, South Africa's biennial reference book for the agri-food industry where you will find points of reference for all subsectors which make up the agricultural value chain. Whether you are a new farmer looking at your options or an old hand wanting to diversify your operations but wondering where to start, you will find value here. Visitors are invited to also look at https://agribook.co.za/ where the latest chapters may be read.
No comments:
Post a Comment