Africa-Press – South-Africa. Agri SA says at least R1 billion worth of crops and livestock were destroyed due to fires that raged in parts of the Northern Cape, Free State, North West and Limpopo since mid-August.
The amount also includes damage to infrastructure.
The most recent fire was extinguished in the Northern Cape on Sunday, thanks to much-needed rainfall.
Christo van der Rheede, Agri SA CEO, told News24 on Sunday that at least 1.2 million hectares of land had been affected by the ongoing fires in the provinces.
“Many farmers are devastated due to the loss of grazing land and livestock, such as sheep, cattle and wildlife, burnt to death or had to be euthanised,” he said.
Van der Rheede said a fund to assist affected farmers had distributed about R1.6 million, but more was needed.
He called on sympathisers to visit their website to make donations.
“Veldfires can cause extensive damage, destroying vegetation, harming animals and threatening communities and food security,” he said.
He lamented that the fires occurred at a time when farmers were already grappling with several challenges, including load shedding, deteriorating infrastructure, rising labour and input costs, as well as threats to rural safety.
“As a result of all these challenges, farmers are currently liable for an estimated R205 billion in debt – a high burden that renders those affected by the fires unable to absorb this latest tragedy,” he said.
He called on municipalities in vulnerable areas to ensure adequate maintenance of public infrastructure.
“Something as simple as a negligent driver throwing the butt of a cigarette on the side of the road can result in a veldfire, so it is important for municipalities to ensure that the grass is adequately cut.”
He urged provincial government officials to ensure that disaster management teams were ready and available to contain fires during the fire season.
Van der Rheede said the fires were likely to have an impact on food security, but national food security was not likely to be affected as much due to “a very good maize, sunflower and grain harvest”.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that infrastructure damage was included in cost to farmers.
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