AGRICULTURAL NEWS - Many of South African rivers from which water is drawn for agricultural irrigation purposes are carrying extraordinarily high pathogenic loads. Produce irrigated using this water are often minimally processed fresh fruit and vegetables or products that are eaten raw.

The risks of using this water to produce edible crops have been weighed against the backlog of providing sanitation services and food insecurity by various local research organisations, including the South African Water Research Commission (WRC).

The WRC, in co-operation with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), published a report titled, ‘Scoping study on different on-farm treatment options to reduce the high microbial contaminant loads of irrigation water to reduce the related food safety risk’.

According to the report, in addition to the threat to consumer health, large-scale outbreaks of food-borne illnesses will affect sales and damage consumer confidence in local produce. Such outbreaks could also result in legal challenges that could potentially prevent entry into lucrative export markets, as well as produce possibly being rejected by local consumers.