KZN floods: Canegrowers’ losses standing at R222.9 million
20 April 2022
SA Canegrowers has conducted a survey amongst canegrowers in rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal to determine the impact of the recent rains and flooding. The preliminary results, which have been provided to the national government, reveal extensive damage not only to canefields and farm infrastructure but also to access routes which allow growers to deliver their cane to mills.
By yesterday afternoon, just over 300 growers had responded to the survey and reported that 2516.65 hectares of cane had extensive crop and root damage, therefore requiring the total replanting of these fields to bring them back into production. This damage comes to an estimated R194.9 million. Farm infrastructure to the value of R27.9 million has also been destroyed bringing the total losses to R222.9 million.
A number of local roads and bridges were also washed away, which are not only the main transport nodes to mills but also the access routes for farm inputs and workers employed on these farms.
This catastrophic damage comes just as many canegrowers had started recovering from the riots and arson attacks that took place in July last year, which saw 554 000 tons of cane being burnt and R84 million in losses. It is clear that this latest tragedy could be the final death knell for hundreds of canegrowers and the rural livelihoods they support. In particular, small-scale growers are most at risk of not recovering from losses of this magnitude.