Saai – an organisation that protects the interests of family farmers – has created an online platform to enable financially distressed small-scale farmers to apply for funds from the COVID-19 Agricultural Disaster Support Fund (CADS Fund). Applications for the fund opened on 8 April 2020 and will close on 22 April 2020.
Thoko Didiza, Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, announced the Department’s interventions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on 6 April 2020. The Department has ring-fenced R1,2 billion for assistance to mainly target financially distressed small-scale farmers. R400 million of the R1,2 billion has been allocated for farmers within the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS) programme and the remainder will be channelled towards all other farmers that are mainly within the poultry, vegetable and other livestock commodity sectors. Other commodity sectors will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
“We launched our platform for COVID-19 travel permits on 25 March 2020, helping thousands of farmers across South Africa to get access to a travel permit within a matter of minutes. We hope to do the same with the CADS Fund application process,” says Francois Rossouw, CEO of Saai.
“The biggest problem is that most of the farmers that qualify for the CADS Fund do not have the resources to print or scan the documents that are supposed to be completed. The online platform that Saai has built enables farmers to complete all the required information digitally and submit the forms without having to go through the normal hassles,” adds Rossouw.
Once completed and submitted, forms are lodged electronically at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and applicants will also receive a copy of their records.
Visit the digital platform at https://bit.ly/CADSFund or WhatsApp your name and surname to 066 071 6094.
Aanlyn aansoekplatform vir CADS-fonds nou beskikbaar
Saai – ’n organisasie wat na die belange van familieboere omsien – het ’n aanlyn platform geskep wat kleinskaalboere wat finansiële nood ervaar in staat stel om aansoek te doen vir fondse vanuit die COVID-19-landbourampondersteuningsfonds (CADS-fonds). Aansoeke vir die fonds het op 8 April 2020 geopen en sluit op 22 April 2020.
Thoko Didiza, Minister van Landbou, Grondhervorming en Landelike Ontwikkeling, het die departement se ingrypings om die impak van COVID-19 te verlig, op 6 April 2020 aangekondig. Die departement het R1,2 miljard beskikbaar gestel om hoofsaaklik hulp aan kleinskaalboere in finansiële nood te bied. R400 miljoen van die R1,2 miljard is aan boere in die proaktiewe grondverkrygingstrategie (PLAS)-program toegeken terwyl die oorblywende geld aan boere in hoofsaaklik die pluimvee-, groente- en ander veekommoditeitsektore toegeken sal word. Ander kommoditeitsektore sal per geval geëvalueer word.
“Ons het ons platform vir COVID-19-reispermitte op 25 Maart 2020 van stapel gestuur wat duisende boere regoor Suid-Afrika binne minute gehelp het om ’n reispermit te bekom. Ons hoop om dieselfde met die CADS-fonds se aansoekproses te doen,” sê Francois Rossouw, uitvoerende hoof van Saai.
“Die grootste probleem is egter dat die meeste boere wat vir dié fonds kwalifiseer nie oor die nodige hulpbronne beskik om die dokumente wat voltooi moet word, uit te druk of te skandeer nie. Die aanlyn platform wat Saai geskep het, maak dit vir boere moontlik om al die vereiste inligting digitaal in te voer en die vorms in te dien sonder die gewone rompslomp,” sê Rossouw.
Sodra die vorms op Saai se platform voltooi en ingedien is, word dit elektronies by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ingedien en aansoekers sal ook ’n kopie van hul rekords ontvang.
Besoek die aanlyn platform by https://bit.ly/CADSFund of stuur jou naam en van via WhatsApp na 066 071 6094.
