Hundreds of thousands of liters of milk through the gutter in Africa

Dairy farmers in Africa are forced to flush the milk away. Hundreds of thousands of liters of milk have already been flushed down the gutter. Due to logistical problems caused by looting and protests, the milk cannot be collected. Food shortages are feared.

In South Africa, dairy farmers have had to flush large amounts of milk. For example, a dairy farmer and his neighbors dumped more than 60.000 liters of milk in the second weekend of July. Farmers in the province are said to flush about 28.000 liters of milk through the gutter every day. 

Widespread rioting and looting, which prevented the milk from being collected, broke out for the first time in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng after former President Jacob Zuma was jailed on July 7 for contempt of court.

Noose for dairy farmers
The South African Milk Producers' Organization is concerned about the availability of milk and the difficult situation in which dairy farmers find themselves. Not only can the milk not be collected, animal feed is also not delivered due to road closures by looters. Profit margins in the dairy sector were already tight and it is estimated that some dairy farms will not survive this financial setback.

It is not only dairy farmers who are affected, other agricultural sectors are also experiencing major losses. Many fires are started among arable farmers and timber farmers. “The impact on our farming communities and the local towns in these areas is huge. Not only have entire cities and businesses been destroyed, impacting future food security and the threat of job losses, but also the entire agricultural value chain,” said de Sandy La Marque. , CEO of Kwanalu (the KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union).

Chanti Oussoren

Editor at Boerenbusiness who studies the dairy, pig (meat) and feed markets.

c.oussoren@boerenbusiness. Nl

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