Limpopo is a drought prone province which faces challenges of drought from time to time especially after the winter season. In the last two years the province received below average rainfall especially the eastern part of the province which includes Mopani and some parts of Vhembe.
As a result of the severe drought the province experienced reduced grazing and water for livestock and irrigation which negatively impacted the agricultural sector.
Drought is a natural phenomenon that cannot be prevented but can be mitigated against. The Department of Agriculture spent R24 million in the previous financial year to implement livestock water infrastructure distributed in all five districts. The money was used for de-silting 10 earth dams for livestock water, equipping of 130 boreholes with windmills and pumps, construction and repair of 80 drinking troughs and the installation of 10 000 litre water storage tanks to the equipped boreholes.
In the current financial year an amount of R5 million has been used to purchase fodder which is made available to farmers at subsidised rates throughout the province as follows:
* communal farmers pay 10 percent of the price
* emerging farmers pay 20 percent of the price
* commercial farmers pay 30 percent of the price
However, the supply was outstripped by the high demand of fodder due to the higher population of livestock in the affected areas and limited financial resources. Stock losses were made worse by the recent rains coupled with cold temperatures, which resulted in hypothermia.
Estimated livestock mortalities as from August in the worst affected districts are:
Mopani at 3 394
Vhembe at 2 179
After a thorough assessment of the situation, consultation and visits to farmers the department will:
* Intensify the supply of fodder to the tune of R5 million which will be on and above the allocated R5 million to bring the total amount used on the purchase of fodder to R15 million
* Improve the availability of livestock water by repairing boreholes, water drinking troughs and sinking new boreholes, an amount of R2 million will be made immediately available for this exercise and an additional R1 million will be made available to implement water harvesting technologies.
* The Department of Land Reform and Rural Development will make available R10 million for fencing of grazing camps in Muyexe and surrounding areas. The fenced off grazing areas will make the management of pasture and grazing possible and control of the number of livestock per camp.
* Intensify advisory services including weekly, monthly and seasonal weather forecast to livestock farmers. This will improve capability of farmers to respond and to deal with disasters effectively.
The recent rains has somewhat improved the situation but it will take some time for the grazing to recover. Farmers are advised to continue providing additional fodder to livestock until the grazing is fully recovered.
Enquiries:
Thembi Makhuvele
Cell: 082 803 5648
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Limpopo Provincial Government
3 December 2009
