Gamtoos farmers ask for easing of water restriction

Farmers in the Gamtoos Valley area have asked for their water restrictions to be adjusted due to the recent downpour.

Officials said by late Monday morning, the Kouga Dam level had risen to 31%.

Gamtoos Irrigation Board CEO Pierre Joubert, who represents about 200 farmers and operates the Kouga Dam and water distribution system in the Gamtoos Valley, said each farm had been restricted to only using 20% of its normal water allocation since July.

Of the about 200 farms in the area, an estimated 40% are citrus farms, 40% vegetable farms and about 20% dairy farms – all of which have been under strain due to the recent water restrictions.

Before the weekend rains, the dam was sitting at 6.9% – the lowest volume of all five dams that feed the Bay.

The other supply dams are Loerie, Churchill, Impofu and Groendal dams.

Joubert said he was hoping that the water level in the Kouga Dam would reach 40%.

“We have already requested the department of water & sanitation to ease our restrictions.

“Currently, farmers are 80% restricted, so we hope they will lift it to 50%,” he said.

Asked what that would mean for the farmers, Joubert said it meant more farming could be done, resulting in more produce and more jobs.

“That will mean a lot to farmers. Vegetable farmers will be able to plant more vegetables and at the same time employ more labourers.

“Citrus farmers will have more flexibility to irrigate more of their orchards, securing a crop for next season.

“Dairy farmers can produce more food for their cattle so that they do not have to buy in at high cost,” he said.

“So generally the easing of restrictions will have a huge impact on the valley.

“It is also essential that these steps be taken speedily as vegetable seedlings have to be ordered first and contracts secured for their supply.”

Eastern Cape water department chief director Portia Makhanya said they were still monitoring the inflow of water into the dam.

“We are looking at the model and monitoring the inflow.

“Water takes time to reach the dam. We are currently at 31% [at Kouga], and we are estimating that it will get to about 40%,” she said.

“Later in the week, we will see if this should be revised.”