W Cape farmers take billions of rands knock due to climate change

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Agri Western Cape says the agriculture sector in the Western Cape has suffered damage to infrastructure and loss of harvests to the value of around R4-billion in the last 12 months alone.

Climate change has severe impact with more intense storms causing flooding, fires and other destruction.

Agri Western Cape CEO Jannie Strydom says agriculture is a business where producers must be experts in many fields.

“Please appreciate your food on your table on your plate, it has gone through enormous process of risk taking. Farmers, we have just seen, they completed the planting season of the grains, they invest millions of rands into the soil with prospect of a harvest without any guarantees.”

Strydom says making profit is vital in order to sustain agriculture production.

Eight months ago, farmers in the Western Cape were counting the costs after severe storm hit the province.

The provincial department of agriculture said at the time that a preliminary assessment indicated damages in the region of over R14-billion.

Western Cape farmers count costs after flood damage: