The drought for fruit producers in the southwestern Cape has been broken, but alas it continues in the Klein-Karoo.
The vast majority of South Africa’s apricots are grown in the Klein-Karoo, while more than half of the total cling peach production as well as almost a third of South Africa’s plum hectarage is situated in this area which is, some say, the healthiest climate in South Africa for stonefruit propagation and production.
Apricot orchards in the Klein-Karoo
The Klein-Karoo is a winter rainfall area, with regular snow and substantial cold accumulation in some parts like the Koo Valley. Summer rainfall from the southeast is possible – and much hoped for – until December. Summer is hot and sunny, favouring sugar development, but farmers are concerned at the start of their third consecutive dry year.
“The majority of producers are in a worse position than they were this time last year,” says Niël Joubert who grows export apricots, peaches and plums, as well as wine grapes, on the farm Warmwater, between Montagu and Barrydale. “We’re not disheartened, but we are worried.”
“From January to December last year I measured 250mm on my farm,” he says, “but that includes amounts as small as 0.2mm and 0.5mm, so in effect, when you look at rain that made a difference, it was about 200mm overall last year.” He notes that they received about a quarter of the annual rainfall in November. Their average rainfall is between 400mm and 600mm.
Another Montagu fruit farmer notes that the soft rain they’ve received this winter was beneficial for oats, but that farm dams have never filled up. If their boreholes hold, they’ll be able to pull through, and fortunately good snowfall has replenished underground water supplies. He has removed several hectares of pears late last year, even trees with fruit, which is of course a complete financial loss.
No formal drought relief for fruit farmers
Farmers are dependent on farm dams, boreholes and fountains fed by the mountains. All producers reiterate that runoff from rain was almost completely absent this past winter. Farm dam levels are between 5% and 35%, with the odd dam which is 50% full. The Poortjieskloof Dam, important for irrigation, is 9.8% full, the Stompdrift Dam is 6% full, the Kammanassie Dam 5.5% full, the Calitzdorp Dam 13.5% full. To the immediate north of the Klein-Karoo the Gamkapoort Dam stands at 0% and the Oukloof Dam 0.5%.
Dependence on boreholes comes with a very high electricity bill, especially if farmers have to schedule the pumping cycle not according to lower electricity tariffs but according to when the borehole water level has recovered to sufficient levels.
One farmer points out that there are often drought relief programmes for livestock farmers (there is currently an aid programme for the livestock and ostrich farmers of Oudtshoorn), in the form of bales of hay, but that drought relief for fruit farmers is in short supply, even non-existent. He proposes that drought relief for fruit farmers could take the form of financial aid towards their high electricity accounts.