Farmers’ unions and Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Lulu Xingwana will thrash out their differences at a meeting in Pretoria on Friday.
The unions have lashed out at Xingwana after she commented last year that violence against women and children was rife in the sector and accused farmers of inhumanely evicting workers.
”We have repeatedly asked the minister of proof of these allegations so that we could discuss it and look at of ways of tackling it, but thus far we have received no information from her,” said AgriSA executive director Hans van der Merwe.
It is hoped Friday’s talks will pave the way to resolve the issue once and for all, he said.
The talks will also be attended by other unions.
Xingwana’s offices said the talks will involve ”issues of mutual interest for the betterment of agriculture”. — Sapa