The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development is assessing the severity of the El-Nino-induced drought and its impact on crop-yields and farmers in the agricultural sector.
The department said a recent report by the Crop Estimates Committee had revealed that the country’s “2023/24 summer grains and oil seed production could fall by 21% year-on-year to 15.2 million tonnes”.
“This will still be sufficient for domestic needs, but the neighbouring countries in the regions have been hit hard and may experience food insecurity.
“There are also emerging feed challenges for the livestock farmers. Fortunately, the vegetables and fruit supplies are reasonably decent, and prices should be moderate in the near future.”
Minister Thoko Didiza earlier this month said the department had held discussions with the industry, including primary producers, the agribusiness sector and with financial institutions to “explore various ways in which farmers can be supported because we know that this has set new factors for farmers who are ready to put their money on the ground in order to plan for the upcoming season’’.
“By the end of May, when the harvesting has happened, we will have a better sense of what kind of support we might need to give to the various farmers in different parts of our country,” Didiza said.
She said the department was aware that the drought may also have an impact on prices for feed for livestock farmers.
“There is always a relationship between the grain industry and the livestock industry. So anything that we see as an impact on the grain, there is already an indirect impact on the livestock industry.
“That is why there is continuous engagement and we are helping to monitor the grain situation as well as the feed situation for the animal industry so that we are not in dire straits on both,” Didiza said.
The Mercury