Agriculture dept launches R1.2bn blended finance instrument for alternative energy solutions

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has, together with the Land Bank, launched a blended financing instrument to aid farmers in accessing alternative energy solutions amid the electricity supply crisis. While State-owned energy utility Eskom has been providing load curtailment agreements to stakeholders in the agriculture industry, government deemed it prudent to help minimise interrupted production from loadshedding further, particularly for large energy users.