Sugarcane burning under fire on the North Coast

As plumes of smoke rained black ash over North Coast towns this week, concerned residents have called on government to control the widespread practice of indiscriminate sugarcane burning.

The sugarcane industry reportedly burns 90 percent of its crop at harvest while only 10 percent is green cane harvested, a practice that requires workers to cut the stalk in specific places and manually remove the leaves.

Harvesting season takes place from April to December each year and remains a contentious issue between farmers and residents who have to deal with the smut fall out and smoke.

Despite the sugar industry’s push back, environmental advocates say air pollution threats from burning cane fields are real and deserve more attention.

Ilembe district municipality air quality officer Ravind Lawton said the municipality was in the process of developing their air quality management plan (AQMP), a legislative tool that will guide air quality management in the region and set short and long term strategies for the municipality.

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“We have in our possession a draft by-law which is not yet promulgated. We have advertised for a specialist environmental consultant who will be shortly engaged in helping us measure the different sources of air pollution and draw up a plan,” said Ravind.

“Public participation will be an important aspect of this exercise. On the other hand we cannot totally ban the burning of sugarcane as this is permissible by the National Veldt and Forest Fire Act.

We are therefore reliant on the Fire Protection Association and the North Coast Environmental Committee to identify farmers who are not abiding by their burning code,” said Ravind.

However, self-regulation in the industry is doomed to fail without proper legislated by-laws.

Ballito resident and attorney Patrick Ronan is critical of farmers who do not adhere to the national air quality legislation and fail to consider readily available weather and wind forecasts before harvesting.

“When they reach their planned dates to harvest they burn, even though the harmful carcinogenic and polluting smoke will blow directly towards populated areas.

“The fact they will not even wait a few days to minimize the fallout on populated areas is clearly demonstrative of the profit-driven approach of certain cane growers.”

Environmentalists argue that sugar producers in countries such as Australia and Brazil have stopped the practice of burning their cane fields and use the leafy portions of plants for mulching the fields or they are burned elsewhere as biofuel.

Head of the Centre for Environmental Rights Pollution and Climate Change Programme, Robyn Hugo, points out, “Our law should be following the global trend of reducing pollution from industrial facilities as a matter of urgency. Instead, we are demonstrating less commitment to clean air and human health than other developing countries.”

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According to the South African Sugar Association (SASA) natural resource manager Dr Marilyn Govender, the industry has researched and developed specific measures to address the implications of burning.

These are implemented through the Codes of Burning Practices and form part of an initiative to promote better management practices in the industry.

The codes focus on minimising atmospheric pollution, preventing runaway fires, preventing heat and smoke from being blown across public roads or affecting power lines.

Local mother Annie Beningfield said, “On Monday morning when I dropped my children off at school it looked like black snow was falling. The farmer was burning his one sugar cane field. It was swirling around as my children had to walk to the quad and wait for line up.

“As per the burning guidelines, the farmer should let the school know when he will be burning. Surely the burning could be scheduled on a weekend,” she queried.

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