Phew, what a relief the rain has been for farmers across Mzansi who have experienced extremely hot weather patterns. The recent heavy rains have not only brought joy to farmers but eased the financial burden caused by the dry conditions. It has, however, come with other challenges.
In some regions of the country, heavy rains have swept away bridges, and muddy roads to farms have not been accessible.
Crop and livestock farmer from Pretoria Nompumelelo Dhlamini said they managed to collect and store rainwater for future use as weather patterns are unpredictable.
Better late than never
“In terms of our livestock the goats are looking lovelier, healthier and definitely happier [and] as the pastures are green, there’s plenty of food. The rains found me prepared as I had just vaccinated them against lumpy skin disease, [and] dipped and dewormed [them]. It’s definitely exciting times for my pockets as I do not have to sell out of desperation but can price and sell my cattle how I want.
“I had not anticipated so much rain, therefore poles of the kraal have been falling as it’s too damp and cattle rub against them,” she said.
Free State sunflower farmer Happy Letsitsa said they are grateful for the rain though it came late.
“November month was very tough, even partial December, but it did help as commodities such as sunflowers are gaining their momentum back with the current rainfalls,” he added.
Related stories
- Tricky times as Weather Service warns of turbulent summer
- Shifting seasons ahead: Brace for more extreme weather
Livestock and crop farmer in Vrede in the Free State, Wessels Wessels, said so far the 2024/2025 summer has been one of the hardest he has ever experienced.
“Rains were later, then we had rain but little, then dry and hot with winds, then rain, then dry again. From 24 December it became better. Some farmers had to plant three times. The very dry areas in our area had floods, lots of dams broke, roads were damaged as well as fences,” he said.
Wessels said only time will tell if the crops planted will yield any positive results as the inconsistency of weather patterns directly impacts farmer operations.
Great expectations
A crop farmer in Wolmaranstad in North West, Lebogang Matsose, said they were lucky in their area for not experiencing any damages with the recent rains.
“The rain did not even wash away the seeds so we are expecting a good harvest for 2024. In our area some are still planting, and some are still preparing the soil so it has not been a bad start at all. Things do look fine on our side for now,” she added.
Meanwhile, Giel Wilson, a crop farmer in Hartswater in the Northern Cape, said the rain was very gentle, “We had no damages in the infrastructure or flooding so we hope 2025 will be a great year for us farmers across South Africa after being hit by severe heatwaves,” he said.
READ NEXT: Agriculture stars shine in record-breaking matric class of 2024
Sign up for Mzansi Today: Your daily take on the news and happenings from the agriculture value chain
