“The National Development Plan places a premium on agricultural development and job creation, which in turn ties in with the sector’s responsibility to produce sufficient food. To do so, a safe and stable environment is essential. The Agri Securitas Trust Fund attempts to realise this ideal,” said Japie Grobler, chair of the Agri Securitas Trust Fund.

During a recent meeting of the board of trustees, funds were once again approved for allocation to farmer associations. Groenebloem Famers’ Association in the Viljoenskroon district benefited from the funding of a battery charging system to keep the repeater network’s batteries charged, while Greenlands Farmers’ Association in the Koppies district received funding to purchase security equipment that will be used to execute their rural protection plan. Funds were also allocated to Agri Kuruman for the implementation of a camera system to monitor access to the area.

“Rural crime is an enormous problem and has many different dimensions. This means that solutions must also be sought in a variety of areas, including policy, cooperation, preparedness and effective policing. The Trust Fund is but one of these instruments, but we believe that it makes a practical contribution towards promoting the safety of rural communities,” said Grobler.

“There appears to be an increasing demand for the assistance offered by the Trust Fund. An attempt is being made to meet such demands, also via greater support from stakeholders. Feedback from local level indicating that the assistance had contributed to the safety of communities is encouraging,” said Grobler.

The Trust Fund cannot perform this task alone; therefore, the financial assistance provided by its strategic partners, namely Nissan SA, Sanlam, CrisisOnCall and Sonfin is acknowledged.

Issued by Agri SA