Relief is being brought to farmers, who have been severely impacted by the current drought in South Africa, by Transnet Freight Rail (TFR). In a move set to ensure that farmers are able to continue with their farming activities, a train service has been specially designed to provide relief to affected farming communities.

The train service will see TFR delivering a total of 17 100 bales, 200 bags and 210 tons, of loose animal feed. Farmers from various regions of the Western Cape have donated the feed destined for Upington and Vryburg in the Northern Cape. The train service will be provided by TFR at no cost to the farmers. Interruptions to the normal running of trains will not be experienced as a result of the meticulous planning by the operations teams.

Loading commenced on the 21st of February from three sites: Caledon, Malmesbury and Worcester in the Western Cape. The first load will arrive in Vryburg on the 3rd of March for off-loading. This project will be completed by the end of March 2014.

Food security impacts South Africa as a whole, and TFR is fulfilling its corporate social responsibility by providing the transportation service at no cost to those who have been affected. This solution is offered in order to place small scale and commercial farmers on a firm path of recovery.