South Africa: Saai, the organisation for family farmers, has created a web-based platform for family farmers and their workers to submit the necessary documents for travelling during the mandatory 21 day COVID-19 lockdown.
Agricultural and food supply related operations, including farming, veterinary and phytosanitary service providers, pest control services, and chemical and fertilizer providers have been classified as Critical to Business Continuity Services (CBCS) that support the health and safety of South Africans. During this time family farmers and their employees will need to travel to and from farms to be able to perform their various functions and tasks.
“Our web-based platform allows any person classified as Critical to Business Continuity Services – Agriculture (CBCSA) to upload the necessary documents to prove that their travels are legitimate within the lockdown. The system then emails participants a PDF document containing all their information. Saai will also WhatsApp subscribers a ticket with a QR code that will contain all the necessary information,” says Francois Rossouw, CEO of Saai. QR technology is freely available and can be downloaded from any app store.
Saai anticipates some frustration at roadblocks, especially during the early stages of the lockdown. Given the challenges to communicate with authorities at all levels, Saai hopes to contribute to the food chain running smoothly with the creation of a digital tool, linked with the collectivisation of efforts to present a solution and to engage with the authorities.
This service is free of charge and available to all family farmers.
It can be accessed at: https://bit.ly/COVID_Travel_Docs
