A massive effort is under way to provide fuel to the two sectors most in need — the deciduous fruit farmers in the Western Cape and the summer rainfall farmers of Gauteng, Mpumalanga, the Free State and North West — the South African Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia) said on Monday.
”There is a lot of hard work to do and a special effort is being made to organise transport and distribute the diesel,” said Colin McClelland, Sapia director.
The country experienced one of its worst fuel shortages when local fuel production at refineries was curtailed because of extended maintenance work, resulting in the stockpiled supplies being exhausted.
The Western Cape was hardest hit by the shortages, with motorists left stranded without fuel after filling stations ran dry.
Minister of Minerals and Energy Lindiwe Hendricks intends establishing a task team of government and private-sector individuals to coordinate and manage the distribution of fuel to the neediest regions.
McClelland said all refineries are now fully operational, with fuel production augmented by loads of imports.
Some shipments have arrived and others are en route, with a 50-million-litre consignment recently arrived.
This represents about a two-day national supply of fuel to the country, which on average uses one billion litres a month.
The demand for fuel is diminishing because of the yearly shutdown of business and industry over the festive season, with the exception of tourist routes.
Malcolm MacKenzie, of DuToit Group in Ceres, said the group lost about 10 days of drainage and soil-preparation work.
”But there has been no serious loss of production,” said MacKenzie of the country’s largest deciduous fruit concerns.
However, he said because of the group’s infrastructure and finances, it was better off than the smaller farmers, who would definitely have had a problem.
Farming units have been rationing fuel supplies, with assurances from one major petrol company on Monday that the situation is expected to normalise this week.
Meanwhile, Grain SA general manager John Purchase said fuel shortages meant farmers could not plant and harvest crops, including maize, soya beans and sorghum.
”Our planting season runs out at the end of December. The later you plant, the bigger the risk of crop loss because of frost injury in autumn. It’s a totally unacceptable situation,” said Purchase.
He laid the blame squarely at the door of Sapia, saying it was ”poor, rubbish planning” that resulted in maintenance work being planned during the peak diesel-consumption period for the agricultural sector.
”What is saving the whole situation, and it’s damn ironic, is the drought. If it had been a normal season, there would have been chaos out there.”
Purchase said fortunately there was a big carry-over of maize and sorghum.
He said it would have been difficult for many farmers to seek compensation if crops had not been planted, but added that wheat farmers in the Eastern Free State have a ”definite” case for recourse to compensation.
The financial implications of the fuel shortage are enormous, Purchase said. — Sapa