Farmers have been thrown a lifeline with a blended finance instrument that aims to tackle the negative impacts of rolling blackouts on productivity faced by agricultural producers, said Thoko Didiza, the minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development, at a media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday.

The R1.21-billion Agro Energy Fund — a partnered effort by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and the state-owned agricultural Land Bank — is aimed at providing financing for farmers to find alternative energy solutions.

The fund is aimed at a range of producers, from small-scale farmers to large commercial agricultural companies.  Click here to read the full article