The Western Cape minister of agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer, has expressed his gratitude on the news that the Western Cape will be receiving an additional amount of R25 million towards drought mitigation interventions in the Central Karoo and Garden Route districts.
Minister Meyer said: “I welcome the news that the national government has allocated R25 million towards drought mitigation in the Central Karoo and Garden Route districts. The funds will assist in alleviating some of the impact of the drought, bringing much needed relief to some of the areas most severely affected by the drought.”
Focus areas
Projects that will be implemented include fodder for livestock in extremely critical areas, livestock watering systems, conservation agriculture, alien vegetation clearing and fencing.
Climate change predictions have shown that the Western Cape will become drier, with an even more erratic rainfall pattern. Authorities will therefore have to mitigate this by stepping up the management of natural resources such as land, water, soil, plants and animals.
“It is therefore imperative that we manage our natural resources effectively, as sustainable resource management will improve the economic viability of the agriculture sector in the Western Cape,” he said.
For more information:
Western Cape Government
Email: service@westerncape.gov.za
www.westerncape.gov.za