Picture: (Maize Cup launch at Delareyville library)

South Africa’s agricultural industry looks set for fresh rounds of yet more contestation, as recent reports have indicated increased rates technological application and mechanization by commercial plot owners. With the future of thousands of farmworkers at stake as a result of this adoption, fears as to the route of recourse by these threatened farmworkers lends to already shaky ground regarding farm attacks and other forms of violent protest against farm owners. Filtrations through state aligned media houses have been known to dumb down the seriousness of this issue, with state intelligence even being known to step in at times when reports are thought too gruesome for mass visibility.

The adoption of agricultural technology, as is now well known, looks only set to increase. This comes especially as pressure from growing populations (the UN expects the global population to reach 9 billion by 2050 – but I’d rpedict abn earlier date) and worsening climate change necessitates innovation and implementation almost immediately. Unfortunately, the adoption of technology in the commercial sector adds yet another proverbial mound to ‘the land question’ of South Africa. This can only add to the woes of the ANC led government, not to mention race and class relations in the country.

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