Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson has called on the labour department to intervene in the Western Cape farm workers' strike.
"I have no capacity to advise or influence the employment conditions commission," she told SAfm on Wednesday morning.
"That is a matter for the department of labour or the minister of labour. We have done what we could as the department of agriculture and we will continue supporting workers."
She said she had helped "restore relationships" between striking farm workers and farmers.
"I think we've [the department] acted as a facilitator to allow that these negotiations and talks stay on track... We cannot afford this sector to lose jobs... that is why we decided to participate in normalising the situation."
Business Day reported on Wednesday that Joemat-Pettersson told workers on Tuesday afternoon she would speak to President Jacob Zuma on their behalf.
"I will tell the president that we cannot ignore the call of the farm workers. From there we will go to the labour minister to discuss sectoral determinations," she was quoted as saying.
Grape harvesters in the Hex River Valley, in the Western Cape, had been protesting for a week over their wages, demanding R150 a day. Most earned between R69 and R75 a day, with R80 being the highest and only offer from farmers.
Several protesters have been arrested for public violence.
"We call on all workers to stop the violence, to stop the vandalism," the minister said on SAfm.
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