Farmers in survival mode
Farmers battle to weather the drought with a ripple effect on supporting industries.
Sugar cane farmers in the Ilembe district got excited when they received a reasonable amount of rain in January but their enthusiasm quickly dried up and turned to worry when, up to now, February has been a dry month.
When the Courier visited Clifton Sugar Estate on the Doringkop road outside Stanger, farmer Lyall Rushton said they have not had a drop of rain for three weeks and everything that turned green in January was fast turning brown.
Throughout the district, the sugar cane stalks are thin and short, with very little room for storing sucrose.
He said, to financially weather the drought, farmers were increasing carry over (some up to 40 percent), working shorter weeks, employing fewer workers and putting a halt on normal maintenance like cutting grass, clearing weeds, maintaining farm roads, and servicing vehicles and buildings.
Rushton said they were also not replacing farm implements and tractors, planting less and staggering whatever planting they did according to when and how much it rained.
“We take calculated risks because we believe in farming for next year. Although we plant much less, we have to plant for next year and never cut back on fertiliser to secure a harvest for next season,” said Rushton.
He said due to the crippling drought, their staff complement has declined from 70 in 2013 to 27 in February 2016. Families losing their main source of income lead to reduced spending power in surrounding towns on basic necessities like food, toiletries and clothes.
The ripple effect on industry related businesses like the farmers’ co-operatives, tractor and implement dealerships, tyre shops, agro-chemical agents and crop sprayers, has been severe.
“There is no work for us,” said Helen Weaver, speaking on behalf of her husband, a local crop sprayer.
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