South Africans may face higher food prices as increasingly frequent and severe veld fires threaten farm production and drive up costs.
By Lebogang Mashala, editor at African Farming
According to Dawie Maree, Head of Marketing and Information at FNB Agriculture, climate change, combined with above-average rainfall during the previous production season, has created conditions that could exacerbate fire risks.
Since 2015, farmers across KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Free State, Western Cape, the Karoo and Gauteng have battled destructive fires during dry, windy conditions. The consequences are severe, including loss of grazing and crop land, death of livestock and damage to critical farm infrastructure such as irrigation systems and energy installations. Many farmers face prolonged recovery periods because of the scale of the destruction.
“Considering South Africa’s escalating food price inflation and the ongoing challenges faced by farmers, this adds to food security issues by impacting both the supply and price of food,” said Maree.
Substantial Losses
The losses are significant when considering the hectares of crop and grazing land that are destroyed, the death of livestock and the damage to costly energy, irrigation and other farm infrastructure, making it challenging for some farmers to recover quickly.
“Meat in particular, which is currently the biggest driver of food inflation after surging to a 25-month high in June, is at the highest risk, as the death of animals [and loss of] feed supplies, pasture and storage [facilities] could put meat producers under more pressure than they are currently experiencing as a result of the foot-and-mouth disease [FMD] outbreak,” said Maree.
“We are urging farmers to put the necessary measures in place to mitigate the risk of veld fires. Between now and the beginning of the rainy season around October and November, veld fires can spread quickly, destroying farms and leaving [widespread] destruction,” he added.
Maree said farmers must consider having a fire management plan and should collaborate with government and other farmers within their local fire protection associations. This collaboration ensures that procedures and protocols are followed to prevent disasters when starting fires in their areas.
Furthermore, always keep fire equipment in good condition, maintain adequate firebreaks, have adequate insurance and have regular stakeholder engagements with local communities to raise awareness and educate them about veld fires.
“While veld fires are not unique to South Africa, their frequency and severity continue to increase putting farmers on the back foot financially. Taking a proactive approach and ensuring that risk measures are in place will go a long way,” advised Maree.
