By Nico van Burick
After a dry start to the planting season, many farmers in the summer rainfall region are now facing the opposite problem: Too much rain is keeping them out of their fields. In many areas, conditions are simply too wet to begin harvesting, and the delay – especially with soya beans and sunflowers – could lead to crop damage, says Corné Louw, head of applied economics and member services at Grain SA.
Getting into the fields to harvest right now is nearly impossible, says Francois Wilken, president of Free State Agriculture. “We really need a few sunny, windy days now. The harvest potential is still good, but we’re getting worried – if the rain continues, the risk to the crop quality increases.”
He and his wife Esna were themselves stranded on their farm Bethel near Van Stadensrus after a heavy storm last week. After 85mm of rain fell in the Wittespruit catchment area last Tuesday, the river came down and cut off access to their farm. He says it is extremely wet across the province, and even combine harvesters with tracks are getting stuck.
Wilken says he had started harvesting soya beans but had to stop after Tuesday’s downpour. Farmers in Viljoenskroon have wanted to start harvesting early white maize but the conditions wouldn’t allow it. Some are already starting to see ear rot. Fortunately, crops planted later should be less affected – if the weather dries up.
Maize, soya and sunflowers are ready for harvest
Ralf Küsel, who farms near Paul Pietersburg and is the regional representative of Grain SA, says they have had between 100mm and 200mm of rain over the past few days – and with the soya bean harvest under way, it is causing serious problems.
“Everyone is doing their best. Luckily, our terrain has some hills and valleys, so if water is pooling in the low-lying areas, some farmers can still get into the fields on higher ground.
“Some producers are also trying to harvest maize, since local supplies are low and there is a bit of a premium on it right now – even if they have to dry it. But it’s a tough call, because good harvest days are few, and soya beans really need to be off the field soon. So when we get dry, windy days, we focus on the soya beans.”
Küsel says that up until mid-December, some farmers were comparing the conditions to the severe drought of 1933. But since then they’ve had more than a year’s worth of rain in just a few months. One of his neighbours recorded 170mm in two days, and he had 130mm on his farm.
“In KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Highveld, everyone is doing their best to take advantage of any dry spell to harvest – even if it’s only in areas where the combines won’t get stuck,” says Derek Mathews, former chairperson of Grain SA, who farms near Sannieshof in North West. “Still, we’d rather go into winter with too much rain than with a drought.”
Mathews says conditions on his farm change from day to day. “You can harvest one day, then it rains, and you have to wait for a day. The fields are very wet, and the sunflower crop has been harvest-ready for a while. We’re anxious to get it off the field. We really need a few days of sunshine to make some progress.”
He adds that he is concerned about the upcoming peanut harvest, especially if more rain is on the way.
The latest Grain SA production report
Grain SA has just released its latest report on production conditions up to 15 April. It shows that rainfall over the past month has been favourable in most areas, with totals often exceeding both the seasonal norm and the five-year average.
In the six weeks leading up to 15 April, North West received more than 136mm of rain, well above the five-year average.
The Free State recorded an average of 110mm over the same period, and rainfall in the Eastern Highveld, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo also exceeded the average for this time of year.
Soil moisture levels have recovered in most regions. In North West, the Eastern Highveld and KwaZulu-Natal, they are above average. In Limpopo, some areas – particularly in irrigation zones – are reporting exceptionally high soil moisture levels. And in the Free State, they remain slightly below average but are steadily improving.
According to Grain SA’s report, crop conditions are generally in line with historical averages and continue to improve. In North West, conditions are still slightly below normal but are recovering. In the Free State, they range from slightly below to slightly above normal. In the Eastern Highveld, irrigated crops are doing well, but dryland crops remain under pressure. A similar trend is seen in Limpopo, where irrigated fields are in good shape, whereas dryland crops range from slightly below average to normal.
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