12 tons of feed on its way to Boesmanland farmers amid devastating drought

While heavy rains have recently descended across large parts of South Africa, no significant rain has yet fallen in Williston and the surrounding areas. The severe drought has already had devastating consequences for farmers, their families and farm workers. AfriForum and Saai have therefore purchased 12 tons of feed this week, which will soon be delivered to farmers in this area.

The ongoing drought has already forced many farmers to drastically cut their labour costs. Where a farm would typically employ four workers, many farmers can now only retain one worker and even that worker is no longer working full-time.

“The farmers have been plunged into a serious crisis brought about by severe drought. Their livestock are dying; their workers have lost their livelihoods; and there is simply nothing left to distribute. AfriForum could not stand by and watch as these communities silently perish under a drought,” says Tarien Cooks, AfriForum’s Disaster Management Specialist.

AfriForum has already written to the Northern Cape Disaster Management Centre requesting that Williston be declared a disaster area so that aid can be quickly made available. To date, no response has been received.

“This is failing farmers at a critical time and indicates a serious lack of political will to support agricultural communities in need. This means that the government is not only turning its back on farmers, but also on farm workers and their families, who are left without an income. The socio-economic impact on the community is already visible, and the situation is worsening with each week that passes without rain,” says Cooks.

“What’s happening in Boesmanland is no longer just a normal drought cycle, it is a full-scale existential crisis. Family farmers have already lost their savings, their feed reserves and much of their herd. Without targeted emergency assistance, we will not only lose farms, but entire communities, schools and farm workers’ incomes,” says Iné Bester, Operations Manager at Saai.

“Saai is coordinating the drought relief on ground-level with our partners to ensure that emergency feed reaches where it is needed most. However, we need the public’s cooperation to get these farmers through the coming months.”

AfriForum and Saai in collaboration with Manna for the Farmers are urgently appealing to South Africans to support the farmers in this drought. Donations can be made to AfriForum’s emergency fund:

Bank:                          First National Bank (FNB)

Account Holder:       AfriForum MSW

Branch code:            261550

Account number:     623 498 98 398

Reference:                 Drought