Gift of the Givers has offered to help get fodder to Northern Cape livestock farmers affected by runaway veld fires in recent days. The province’s MEC for agriculture, environmental affairs, rural development and land reform, Mase Manopole has welcomed the NPO’s decision to help them assist the affected farmers in the John Taolo Gaetsewe district.
More than 50 farms and the Lohatla military base have been affected by raging veldfires which had started on Sunday, 8 August and spread between Kuruman and Daniëlskuil. Livestock have been lost and vast areas of farmland has been damaged but no loss of human life was reported.
Manopole has dispatched a team to the region to assess the extent of the damage caused by the fire. The MEC further undertook to have the department donate fodder, which was stored in one of the department’s fodder banks in Vaalharts, to the affected farmers.
Farmers affected by fires and insufficient transport of fodder
Due to insufficient transport to deliver the fodder, Gift of the Givers has undertaken to assist the department to distribute the animal feeds to affected farmers in the region.
“From the bottom of our hearts, we really appreciate the assistance from Gift of the Givers. It is in such situations that we need more hands to assist us in overcoming the challenges,” said Manopole.
“Food security is important to conserve during these difficult times, brought on by the pandemic. Also, as government we will do our best to protect the sector because it is indeed the backbone of our provincial economy.”
The first two interlinked loads of more than 100 bales of fodder, which is about 250kg each, have been dispatched to the district.
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