Farmers in the western Free State face financial ruin because of last year’s late rain which affected the maturing of maize crops – a climatological situation that seems to be repeating itself as summer rains remain delayed over large areas to the east of South Africa.
Because last year’s summer rain came late, farmers couldn’t plant in time for proper harvests.
Those with surplus land planted wheat but the harvesting of these crops was poor, primarily because of the drought.
Sunflower seed assistance supplemented crop yields, but only in part.
Free State Agriculture’s (FSA) regional representative André van Rensburg said that farmers last year in the Bultfontein area had been elated when it finally rained, “but it came hopelessly too late”.
The situation has adversely affected the credit facilities of farmers and the consecutive rain-delayed planting season that now seems to be at hand once more means several farmers are facing foreclosure as they simply haven’t had the kind of harvests to bring in bank-pleasing yields.
Van Rensburg’s colleague at the FSA, Jack Armour, said: “Farmers in this district are in deep trouble.”
He also dispelled talk of R76 million in aid that has reportedly been pledged through the provincial treasury for agricultural aid.
At least one report stated that an additional R622 million had been gazetted for struggling municipalities in the western Free State’s drought stricken areas.
As to news that the said assistance had already been paid over, Armour said: “I don’t know of any government help that the district has already received.”
