JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (ADV) – The Department of Agriculture in the Western Cape province has disbursed R8.3 million to 586 farmers in the Central karoo area to address drought.
This happened during the Minister of Economic Opportunities, Beverley Schäfer’s visit to three farms who are currently in the fourth year of a crippling drought in Laingsburg.
The Minister said the farmers that she met, had various ideas for ways in which farmers in the region could be supported and assisted and the government will be investigating how best to do this.
“I saw first-hand how the grasses and plants which ordinarily provide grazing for sheep have died out. Farmers are reliant on the fodder support which they receive from the department, as well as donations. Despite drastically reducing their herd sizes, they told me it’s just not enough,” Schäfer said.
The drought has been ongoing in the region for four years, and despite being a summer rainfall area, there has been very little rain.
The Minister noted that these farms form an important part of the regional economy and are important for job creation.
“These farmers are committed to saving the jobs of their staff and are struggling to make ends meet. They all had ideas of how best the department could assist, and we are now going to be exploring the feasibility of these ideas, within the constraints of the budget and government spending regulations,” she said.
One of the farmers, Lukas Botes of Elim farm expressed appreciation towards government’s help.
“If it wasn’t for the help of the government and other farmers who have given us roughage for free, I don’t know. We wouldn’t be here,” he said.
The Department of Agriculture has been providing support to small scale and commercial farmers in the form of vouchers for fodder.
The decision was taken to increase support from every second month, to monthly in the extremely critical areas which includes the entire Central Karoo region, following a veld assessment report conducted in October last year.
