If govt cannot present practical infrastructure it should step apart and permit personal sector to search out options, says Berries ZA chair Justin Mudge.
Bruce Whitfield interviews Justin Mudge, chairperson of business physique Berries ZA.
– The Transnet ports strike holds dire penalties for the financial system
– “Please ensure that the strike gets your attention today!” writes the chair of Berries ZA to President Cyril Ramaphosa
– Justin Mudge warns the strike places 30 000 livelihoods at danger within the berry business and threatens hundreds of thousands of rand in export income
The Transnet ports strike is disastrous for the financial system, many consultants have warned.
South Africa’s berry producers concern open-ended strike motion might threaten 30 000 jobs within the sector and damage the business’s export income of R3 billion.
A strike by port and freight-rail employees entered a sixth day on Tuesday as wage talks deadlocked.
The strike is occurring in the course of the peak of the berry export season notes Justin Mudge, chairperson of business physique Berries ZA.
[This] means even a single day of ports not working may have a major knock-on impact on the complete berry worth chain, placing 30,000 livelihoods who depend upon the business at danger in addition to hundreds of thousands of rand in export income.
Justin Mudge, Chair – Berries ZA
On Tuesday, Mudge addressed President Cyril Ramaphosa straight on LinkedIn.
“A functional democracy requires a functional economy which requires functional infrastructure, ports, power, transportation network amongst others” he writes.
“If the government cannot provide these then they need to step aside and allow the private sector to find the solutions. There are many that will grab the opportunities.”
RELATED: Berry bonanza: SA blueberry exports soared in 2020 despite impact of Covid-19
In 2020, exports of SA blueberries had elevated by greater than 27% regardless of the impression of Covid-19, indicating “the industry’s growing strength on the world stage”.
Bruce Whitfield interviews Mudge, who can be MD of Chiltern Farms close to Franschhoek.
We’re into the fourth consecutive yr of disrupted delivery and we’re now into our most important weeks… and these disruptions have a long-lasting impression on the season. With a extremely perishable product, the primary week is an important!
Justin Mudge, Chair – Berries ZA
The high quality perceptions that we obtain within the market are affected due to delayed shippings. Last yr… we had as much as 1 / 4 of a billion rands value of losses within the berry business, amongst others attributable to delays in delivery. We cannot afford to do it once more.
Justin Mudge, Chair – Berries ZA
Mudge lists a sequence of things making producers susceptible – these embody seeing margins eroded by the rising value of delivery and competitors provide out of Peru.
The South American nation grew its market share in Europe – SA’s principal market – by 38% in September, he says.
“If we can’t get our fruit to the market we can’t compete.”
Mudge believes South Africa’s ports must be declared essential infrastructure and the appropriate for work stoppages be interrogated.
The reply that I would love, is how can a bunch of Transnet employees maintain a whole agricultural business to ransom? I do not suppose that is acceptable! I perceive the rights of the employees to barter… however that can’t impression on the broader fruit business, the broader import and export business…
Justin Mudge, Chair – Berries ZA
Scroll as much as take heed to Mudge’s empassioned argument
This article first appeared on CapeDiscuss : Transnet strike: Lives & livelihoods are at stake Mr President – Berries ZA