More support for Western Cape’s drought-stricken farmers

Drought conditions are still having a devastating impact on farmers and other role players in the agriculture sector in some areas of the Western Cape, according to Western Cape MEC for agriculture Dr Ivan Meyer.

“For that reason, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture has made additional drought aid available to our farmers to support agriculture in the province,” he said.

Meyer added that the department had distributed R10 million in fodder support to 1 727 farms where extreme or critically extreme drought conditions were being experienced in the province. These areas included the Central and Klein Karoo, parts of the Cape Winelands, and the northern parts of the Matzikamma Local Municipality.

According to Daniel Johnson, spokesperson for

Meyer, the support came in the form of fodder vouchers, and farmers were supported based on the condition of the natural veld on their farms.

He explained that biannual assessments of the veld conditions across the province enabled the department to determine the severity of the drought, and assess whether the veld had recovered or was in a critical or extremely critical state.

“The general situation in the extensive livestock farming areas of the Western Cape, which include the entire Central Karoo district and the northern parts of the West Coast, has deteriorated to unprecedented proportions.

“In many areas, no natural vegetation has survived the drought, and planted pastures and fodder banks have long been exhausted.

“Surplus marketable animals have been culled, and farmers are confronted with selling breeding stock in order to survive.”

Over the past six years, the department had provided fodder support vouchers to the value of about R241 million to farmers across the Western Cape. Johnson said the department would be assessing the long-term plan for the areas prone to drought, and investigating alternative solutions to the current “normal”.

“The [department] is exhausting every avenue of possible funding. However, there may not always be money available for this type of support in the long run, and therefore support will be in the alternative measures we would like to implement for sustainable farming in the future. Adaptation will become key to the survival of the agriculture sector in these areas.” – Jeandré van der Walt