Power cuts could affect seed production: SA National Seed Organisation

JOHANNESBURG - The South African National Seed Organisation says ongoing power cuts could threaten the availability of seeds for the next planting season.

This is because seed production relies heavily on electricity.

READ: Farmers fear food security threats due to power cuts

The organisation's Magdeleen Cilliers says blackouts impact not only commercially produced crops, but the supply side, too.

She said, "a lot has to happen with the seed before it can go to our farmers, we as the seed industry have to ensure the seeds the farmer receive can germinate and has gone through a lot of quality checks."

"Even if seed is produced on dry land it has to go through labs and to ensure that it doesn’t have diseases, it has to go to controlled quality checks to ensure that farmers are protected."

"So the rolling blackouts have affected in a fact that companies have to make alternatives source of power to ensure with quality checks before they go to the farmers….and the current crops are summer crops, this seeds will have to come off the land and go through those process with these rolling blackouts and that can cause a delay in the seed being ready for the next planting season.”