Gishma Johnson, Isuzu Corporate Communications Manager said when Farmers Assist SA approached Isuzu for assistance to help farmers in drought-stricken areas earlier this year, the company reached out to its dealer network and Motus Isuzu Isando stepped up.

Le Roux Roux, Managing Director at the Motus Isuzu Isando franchise, said in a statement he is well acquainted with the plight of the agricultural sector and believes that if farmers cannot produce, the country will be in trouble. “The farmers are in dire need – they have no money for food or to even send their children to school.

“While Mpumalanga and the Free State received good rains and the farmers expect a good harvest, other farmers in the north of Limpopo had to slaughter their game because of the drought conditions and there was also a big ongoing need in the Northern and Eastern Cape provinces,” said Roux.

He said Isuzu and his dealership support Farmers Assist SA with two brand-new FVZ 1400 trucks, two drivers, and fuel. The trucks, which will be used on an ongoing basis to supply feed to drought-stricken areas, are customised with major drop sides and higher sides to enable the transport of additional loads.

Ronel Steenkamp, founder of Farmers Assist SA, said that the biggest concern for the organisation at the moment was being able to purchase fuel to get the donations to the farmers. “Some farmers can’t even pick up the feed owing to a lack of funds for fuel. We need all the support we can get. We thank Isuzu Motors South Africa and Motus Isuzu Isando for walking the mile with us, for being with us for the long run,” said Steenkamp.

In KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, members of the Dalton Farmers Association last week sent six truckloads of grass and sugarcane top bales to drought-stricken farmers in Limpopo in response to a call by Farmers Assist South Africa.

Carl Wichmann from Dalton said farmers in the Midlands region of KwaZulu-Natal said he thought securing just two truckloads of bales would be difficult, as the spring rains were two months late and feed for the Midlands farmer’s cattle was also running very low. But instead of just two trucks, six were loaded. “Everyone was indeed willing to contribute. I was really overwhelmed by the willingness of our farmers,” Wichmann said.