While most of South Africa has been suffering under a devastating drought, the worst in a few decades, the farmers of the Free State were particularly badly hit, and as this is where much of the local basic foodstuff is grown, it has been devastating.
This week Monday the drought-stricken area received some much-needed rain and there were many scenes of jubilation, of farmers sinking to their knees to give thanks with tears streaming down their faces and mingling with the raindrops.
There were many posts of thanks on the Farmers in Need Facebook page – members of the page have been tirelessly hauling water, hay and other cattle feed to farmers who had already resorted to feeding their starving animals the mielies (corn) that had died on the stalk.
There were photos and videos of families dancing in the rain, of big hulking farmers dancing with their children in their arms, and of farmer’s wives offering thanks. Many prayers were said and meeting held to offer thanks and prayers from this largely religious community.
While the South African government has set aside what is seen to be an inadequate R114m to aid the emerging farmers, it has largely ignored commercial farmers, who are the providers of the food on the table for most South Africans and those who have the most to lose, whether it is livestock or crops that they have lost and cannot plant for next year.
Only 3% of the mielie farmers in drought-stricken areas had planted this season, and those who had planted had watched it go to seed from lack of rain. This is what they then eventually ended up feeding to their cattle because, as one farmer explained, “Cows eat to regulate their temperature and if they don’t eat they can’t keep themselves cool on the hot ground. So if it doesn’t have the energy to cool down, it just can’t carry on.”
While the rains have helped a bit, a lot of help is still needed for the struggling farmers and Hay and alfalfa donations are still arriving at the organisers’ depot in Bloemfontein from the Eastern and Western Cape, and from areas where farmers have irrigated fields. Donations of around R1.8m have been received by the group and have been used to pay for truck rental, diesel, and to buy feed where it was being sold cheap. The group has calculated that it needs around 55 000 bales of hay to help everyone who had reached out to them so far.
Other help has come from Legalwise, who donated R200 000 and will also make two lawyers available to help battling farmers. The Red Meat Producers Organisation is also making donations from time to time.
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