Heavy rains bring relief and ruin for farmers

The importance of investing in proper infrastructure has come under the spotlight with heavy rains that have caused havoc in most parts of the country. Major roads linking towns have been closed and bridges have collapsed leading to frustrations among farmers and communities.

While some farmers welcomed the much-needed rains, others are counting their losses as their seeds are being washed away by water, especially in low-lying areas.

Siphiwe Ndlovhu from Magabeni township outside Durban in KwaZulu-Natal said the rain has damaged his cabbages and he has lost close to R20 000 in revenue since the rain started earlier this week.

Rain destroys crops

“All my cabbages were destroyed – about 1 500 of them from the 2000 that I planted – it has been a very draining and hectic week that I experienced. It is a drawback because I do not have money to plant other ones, also the land is too wet to do anything.

“I had to remove them and give them to other farmers to feed their livestock; there was absolutely nothing I can do. It is back to the drawing board for me. I might lose a market that has kept me going,” he said.

Limpopo macadamia nut and avocado farmer, Lutendo Maumela, said the non-stop rain was bad for her farming operations which resulted in some of her workers unable to come to work.

“It has been two weeks where we’ve been experiencing rain daily. The land is extremely wet. We forced ourselves to push the stock out that had to go to the fresh produce market because that is important for us.

“We are working with nuts, which are sensitive in nature. So having to work in rainy conditions even made it worse because we end up losing products into the water or being washed away by the mud. Unfortunately, we have to go to the farm even if it’s raining, but it is hard to work,” she said.

A livestock farmer in Thabazimbi, Limpopo, Steve Sikwane, said he is worried about his livestock going astray because of the rains and being caught in the mud.

“Many rivers’ banks have collapsed making it difficult to control the water as it comes with pressure. So far there has not been any damages, however, livestock also get anxiety when they are not moving out of their kraal and might start forcing their way out. So it’s a very desperate situation we are in at the moment,” he said.

Good news for some farmers

Meanwhile, Deidre Carter, the chief executive officer of Agri Limpopo, said they have not received any reports of serious damages from their members, however, they are keeping an eye on the weather situation.

“It is really the normal stuff where the pumps have to be ripped out, roads not being accessible but no one has reported major damages to date to us,” she said.

Maize farmer Reggie Nkambule from the Free State said he is appreciating the rain following months of excessive heat which led to veld fires in some areas. He said the timing of the rain is perfect and farmers are hoping for a good harvest.

“We had good rains since Sunday which really goes deep in the soil. For now, no damage to the crop. So we are happy with the rain,” he said.

A crop and livestock farmer in Pretoria, Nompumelelo Dhlamini, said the rain has been too much and frustrating as they have much to do.

In North West, the department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs have reported that roads in major farming areas such as Koster, Sannieshof, and Ventersdorp were washed away, making it difficult for driving to reach other places.

“The most affected areas are in Mahikeng, Ramotshere Moiloa, Ditsobotla and Ratlou local municipalities. Reported incidents included motorists who have stuck due to flooded roads.

“Other roads which were reported to have flooded in the province included N18 outside Mahikeng towards Setlagole, N12 near Stilfontein, R30 between Klerksdorp and Ventersdorp, R503 at Hartbeesfontein, N4 near Dinokana, N14 between Sannieshof and Delareyville and on towards Vryburg, R52 between Koster and Lichtenburg,” the department stated.

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