As the spectre of Day Zero looms in the Western Cape, the depleting water levels remain a concern in other parts of the country, according to the head of M Marketing and Information at FNB Agric Business, Dawie Maree.
He says the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape are facing the same shortage as the Western Cape. “In fact, the Kouga Dam – which supplies water to Port Elizabeth and surrounding rural towns in the Eastern Cape – was sitting at 9.2% before the rains last week, which will probably lift it in the short term to approximately 12%. The western parts of the Northern Cape are also experiencing a prolonged drought and livestock farmers in these areas are under immense pressure,” said Maree.
He pointed out that the immediate agricultural impact will be on cash crops such as vegetables as well as livestock due to their high water needs, while perennial crops such as fruit with deeper root systems might hold on for a bit longer.
“We may also start to see output in terms of yields and fruit sizes decline. If the drought persists for another season some fruit trees may have to be uprooted with longer-term implications for supplies as it takes them longer to replant and grow the trees to a point where they are sufficient for production,” explained Maree.
