What benefits does FPA membership hold for farmers?
The FPA and its members will all have their own fire-fighting equipment and protective clothing for their workers, as required by law, and will assist in the case of a fire. This means farmers won’t have to spend excessively on this equipment. Where a fire has spread from a member’s land and caused damages or losses to the property or land of another person, farmers may face a civil claim for damages. But according to the Act, if a farmer is a member of an FPA, no presumption of negligence would apply. This will put the onus on the plaintiff to prove negligence. Farmers may also get to waive off certain precautions, such as the preparation of firebreaks, which are mandatory unless exempted by the agriculture minister. The FPA may compile regulations in order to accommodate personal circumstances. In the event of a veld fire, the farmer may call on a Work on Fire team for help, and only has to pay for the fuel the team uses getting to the farm, and for providing the team with food. But
