Question NW2021 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
19 June 2023 - NW2021
Masipa, Mr NP to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
What (a) has she found are the (i) detailed estimates and (ii) all important variables of the long-term damage of the KwaZulu-Natal floods on the sugar sector, (b) total number of farmers ceased operations and exited the market due to losses incurred in the floods, (c) is her department doing to help the specified farmers, (d) are the details of other crops that were affected by the KwaZulu-Natal floods and (e) actions have been taken to support the affected farmers?
Reply:
(a)(i) Please refer to Annexure A for damages in terms of livestock, crop and infrastructure. The losses recorded on livestock was R1 476 650,00, infrastructure was R165 325 422,00 and crop was R251 311 301,27 including sugarcane.
(ii) Long-term damages and or changes to the sector include reduction in the planting area due to hectares of land lost through soil erosion, which resulted in lower yields of sugar cane tonnage. Furthermore, there has been a lot of variation in the price per ton of cane sugar. However, the unrest that took place in KwaZulu-Natal also placed considerable strain on the industry. Currently, no shortage is envisaged but increased prices in sugar and its derivatives are one of the long-term effects that can be expected.
(b) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has not done an assessment on total number of farmers who lost operation and exited the market due to losses incurred in the floods nor has it received any report to that effect.
(c) DALRRD continues to issue early warning information and advisories as well as awareness to assist farmers with their preparedness plans.
(d) Reports attained showed that 1107 farmers incurred losses in grain, another 670 farmers had suffered losses in vegetable and horticulture production. There were also losses suffered by 482 livestock farmers for both small and large stock.
(e) During the 2022-2023 financial year, DALRRD allocated R30 million to support KwaZulu-Natal farmers with repairs of damaged infrastructure, fertilisers and seeds following the flood disaster. DALRRD further supported the provincial request for additional funds to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), however, the application was not successful as funding was depleted since priority was given to humanitarian and social relief.