Question NW1441 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development:
17 May 2023 - NW1441
Montwedi, Mr Mk to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development:
Whether her department quantified the financial losses suffered by farmers as a result of natural disasters over the past three years; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what (a) was the extent of the specified financial losses and (b) steps has her department taken to support farmers who suffered such losses?
Reply:
a) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has not quantified the losses but relied on the comprehensive information submitted by the affected provinces. The extent of losses reported for the past three years since 2020/21 is approximately R1 054 000 000 attributed to floods and drought combined. This amount excludes fires and small incidents that are not reported.
b) DALRRD supported the affected provinces with:
- R138 million in 2020/21 financial year through the funding from National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC). Breakdown:
|
Provinces |
Purpose of funding |
Allocations |
|
Eastern Cape |
Borehole development and fodder production |
R35 000 000 |
|
KwaZulu-Natal |
Dam rehabilitation, re-scooping silted dams |
R4 000 000 |
|
Limpopo |
Siting, drilling, testing, equipping, water tanks and drinking troughs, wind mills, installation of reservoir, ground reservoirs with troughs, installation of pump cage and generator, stands and energy source |
R18 640 000 |
|
Mpumalanga |
Production inputs, ripping, ploughing, planting, rolling, spraying herbicides, fire breaks, fencing, cutting, racking, bailing, discing, swathing/ windrower, transport and piling of bales, drilling and equipping of boreholes, provision of animal feed. |
R12 160 000 |
|
Northern Cape |
Fodder provisions; extension of fodder bank irrigation, clearing of prosopis, transportation of fodder to all districts |
R35 689 000 |
|
North West |
Provision and transportation of fodder |
R8 000 000 |
|
Western Cape |
Vouchers for provision of fodder |
R25 000 000 |
|
Total |
R138 489 000 |
|
- During the year 2021/22 DALRRD supported the Western Cape farmers with R48 million for fodder support for drought-stricken farmers in the Karoo. This funding was obtained through the NDMC.
- During 2022/23 DALRRD allocated R30 million to support KwaZulu-Natal farmers with repairs of damaged infrastructure, fertilisers and seeds following the flood disaster.
Furthermore, DALRRD continues to issue early warning information and advisories as well as awareness to assist farmers with their preparedness plans. For the 2023 floods, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces have submitted the request for funding to the NDMC with the support from DALRRD. The NDMC is yet to respond to these applications.