Johannesburg - Devastated by the drought, affected farmers were trying to sell their livestock ahead of the dry season – a move the African Farmers Association said was leading to a drop in prices.
African Farmers Association of South Africa’s Tshianeo Mathidi said most farmers were forced to sell their livestock because of the scarcity of grazing land.
“We are feeling the pain, we no longer count profit.”
As a result farmers that owned large tracts of grazing land were cashing in. Mathidi said as a result of the high demand for drought relief, government aid was exhausted before it covered all the affected farmers.
He said crop farmers had also cut down on production because of the drought.
On Monday, Limpopo MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Joy Matshoge appealed to farmers to grow drought-tolerant crops.
ANA