Agri-podcast: Public Protector concludes Ventersburg dairy farmer should be compensated

Public Protector Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane has established in her report that the Free State farmer, Ronel Behrens, a dairy farmer from Ventersburg, suffered financial loss, frustration, inconvenience, and distress as a result of the conduct of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the departmental Director for Animal Health, and should be compensated. Mkhwebane released the report eight years after Behrens laid a complaint that the DAFF has unduly delayed and/or failed to provide her with a report on its investigation into the suspected lack of efficiency of RB51, the vaccine used on her cattle. She said, as a result, she suffered losses with regards to milk production and slaughtering, as well as reduced fertility among her cattle due to the conduct of the department. Following the losses she endured, the Public Protector ruled that the Director-General in the province must, within 3 months of the report's release and in consultation with the minister and the Director for Animal Health, make an offer to Behrens which she deems reasonable in the circumstances. Mkwhebane says the payment is for the inconvenience, distress, and frustration suffered in the process.