The heavy rains in the Overberg over the past week and more rain expected for the rest of July are good news for the dam levels, yet farmers are suffering.
June was characterised by heat and little rain, while July is a different story. According to Rojeanne de Wet, spokesperson for Agri Western Cape, the scant rainfall and warmer temperatures in June were particularly detrimental to fruit farmers because fruit trees need colder weather to produce fruit.
“Fruit trees need cold units to go dormant and for flowering and fruit set in the following season. Therefore it is important that our [the Western Cape’s] fruit regions have sufficient cold days and nights.
“The slightly late winter should not yet have too much of a negative impact on production. Fruit areas make use of irrigation and there is currently no question of water restrictions.
“However, winter rains are extremely important to fill our [the Western Cape’s] larger storage ponds for the summer months.”
The flooding in the Overberg has had a negative impact on the canola farmers.
One disadvantage of the heavy rain, one farmer in the Napier district said, is the wheat seedlings not growing because “they need sunlight to grow”.
Another, he pointed out, is the accessibility of the fields. “We have to spray herbicide, and if we don’t get into the fields the weeds can take over.”
Not only do the grain farmers suffer as result of the heavy rain and cold weather, but also the livestock farmers.
“The cold and wet weather is never good for lambs and extra precautions must be taken to protect them from these conditions.”The dam levels after the rain:. Theewaterskloof Dam 96,92%;. De Bos Dam 100%;. Eikenhof Dam 104,72%;. Buffeljagsrivier 101,97%.
