Coping strategies to deal with uncertainty

The coronavirus disease pandemic lockdowns have pulled the rug out from under millions of people, resulting in enormous financial and job uncertainties. South African farmers, however, are no strangers to uncertainty, due to constant political pressure, a struggling economy, and the threats posed by droughts, floods, pests and disease. Indeed, few have not had to endure periods of drastically reduced income at least a few times during their careers.

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RICHARD KRIGE, vice-chairperson of Grain SA and a farmer in Caledon in the Western Cape, says farmers are exposed to the same kinds of risk as most entrepreneurs in South Africa. The main differences are their extreme vulnerability to adverse climatic conditions and the absence of support when things go wrong.

“Farming in some ways is a lot like gambling, as one wrong decision can ruin everything. Failure is also often caused by conditions that are