Ndlambe drought worsens

THE persistent drought in Ndlambe is the worst some farmers have seen in more than 70 years and no end is in sight.

There appears to be no respite for farmers from the persistent dry weather in large parts of Ndlambe. The continuing scarcity of rainfall – with last year having the lowest average in the region since the 1960s – has left the region‘s farmers struggling to cope.

Residents from the adjoining areas are also suffering from the effects of the drought. There has been no significant break in the drought, and substantial rainfall is needed soon.

From the beginning of November until January rain was sparse with no run-off into dams. Livestock farmers, whose primary source of water is the now-drying boreholes and dams, appear to be the hardest hit as poor grazing and rising production costs have negatively affected their cash flow, with some farmers already reporting a loss of a third of their profits.

The Cape Eastern Milk Producers‘ Association‘s vice chairman, Simon Mathews, says farmers are forced to buy in feed, which adds to already high input costs.

“Some farmers in Ndlambe have started to sell their animals, or are moving them to areas not affected by the drought,” he said.
Pierre Scheepers, who owns farms in Alexandria and Knysna, said his farm in Alexandria has turned into a “semi-des- ert,” and his only option was to buy feed for the cattle.

The worst affected area is west of Alexandria towards Nanaga, which had far less than 40% of their normal annual rainfall last year.

Beef farmer and chairman of the Patterson Agricultural Association, Collin Lovemore, said it costs at least R1000 per month to keep one animal alive during a severe drought.

“We have to buy lucerne from as far as Cradock and Somerset East.”
His father Jeff Lovemore said he had never experienced such a drought in the last 77 years.

Most farmers interviewed by TotT said they fear for the worst if there is no substantial rainfall by the end of March.

The drought has intensified since November 2009 with high temperatures and wind worsening the problem, according to Brent McNamara, the chairman of the Alexandria Farmers‘ Association.

Leon Coetzee, a seasoned farmer from the Bathurst area, said boreholes had dried up and some farmers were struggling to buy feed and water for their animals.

Pieter van der Byl, from the farm Nature View, near the Fish River, said he feared the last of his dams would be drying up in a few weeks‘ time. He only recorded 30mm of rain during December.
“We get baboons and several small animals now in the yard, searching for food and water.”

Dairy farmer Walter Biggs said one of the main problems for farmers was the lack of moisture in the soil which stunts growth of grass used as feed.

“Without rain there is not enough grass to bale for winter feed. Buying lucerne is very expensive,” said Biggs.

Cattle belonging to emerging farmers are also under threat. Many can be seen next to the R72 and roads in Ndlambe in search for grazing.
A representative from a local co-op who prefers to remain anonymous said: “If the drought continues some farmers could lose their farms.”

Game farmers also had to buy additional lucerne to ensure their animals survived this summer and winter season and several also tank in water for their animals.

The situation is verging on critical with strict water restrictions still in place in Ndlambe towns.

The ban limits watering of lawns and parks to one hour in the morning and one hour in the evenings on just two days a week. Boreholes are exempt.

Old infrastructure contributes to the loss of huge amounts of water because of leaking taps and toilets.

Twenty four residents were trained as water conservation officers to combat water losses in the region and the community is urged to promptly report leakages to assist in reducing the loss of water.

According to the infrastructural development office, the Sarel Hayward dam that supplies the Port Alfred area is only 30% full. The level of the canal below the weir was low, making it difficult to pump water to the balancing dam, which in turn feeds smaller reservoirs around town. The dam can supply Port Alfred for another few months.

The reverse osmosis plant in Cannon Rocks proved of great use during the holiday season, as water was transported from there in tankers to areas that had no water.

The table of water sources in Alexandria has dropped by more than 30% due to the drought, according to Stephen Fick of P&S Consulting Engineers.

“The town‘s entire water supply is shut off at night and that brings about a saving of 400 cubic metres of water per day,” Fick said.

The R2,5-million pilot reverse osmosis water recycling plant is due to be back in operation in February, and will also help to eventually add about another 300 cubic metres of clean water to the normal supply line of the town.

The Albany Coast Water Board cannot meet demands in Kenton-on-Sea, and is forced to shut the supply off at night to allow for some build-up for storage.

The privately owned Golden Ridge dam in Bathurst is under threat of running dry, making this the most effected town in the region.

“Water supplies in Kleinemonde and Seafield have reached crisis proportions with very low levels of water in the Wellington dam.

Agri-Eastern Cape president Cerneels Pietersen said the organisation had approached the premier‘s office, the agriculture and land affairs department and the national treasury, to increase the allocation of emergency funds for Eastern Cape farmers.

Although about R26-million was allocated in September 2009 to farmers in the Eastern Cape, only R20-million was now available for the 2010/2011 financial year.

Small scale farmers will receive 90% subsidies, medium-scale ones 80%, and the large scale farmers 70%.

“Although good rain has fallen in some areas, conditions continue to deteriorate over large parts of the province,” said Pietersen.
Climatologists predict below normal rain patterns during March/April for the region.

Water and environmental affairs minister Buyelwa Sonjica told a recent Water Indaba in Jeffreys Bay that “in 20 years, or even less, South Africa may become a semi-desert”. - GEORGE PETZER