Photo: Glenneis Kriel
Meyer said the 2023 and 2024 floods caused significant infrastructural damage in the region, with the funding aimed at mitigating future flood damage to the Upper Olifants River catchment area.
“The funding will allow the association to reinstate drainage, remove debris and sediment build-up over roughly 60km along the main stem of the Olifants River and its tributary, thereby helping to protect the water security of the region, particularly the agricultural industries and livelihoods that depend on it,” he said.
Stefan Theron, CEO of the Citrusdal Water Users’ Association, added that the funding would help to reinstate access along the river where roads, cultivated fields, orchards and infrastructure have washed away.
Gerrit van der Merwe, who farms near Citrusdal and serves as chairperson of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa, told Farmer’s Weekly that farmers in the region assessed damages and had an impact study done, according to which R50 million was needed to dredge the river.
The farmers asked various state departments for help, but so far only the Western Cape Department of Agriculture had come to the table.
“We still need R36 million to get rid of the 1,2m to 1,6m of sand that has built up in the river,” he said.
A disaster had been declared in the region but farmers had not received any funding to help them recoup their losses.
“Damage to infrastructure, such as orchards, roads, irrigation and pumps, fences and so forth, and fruit losses were estimated at around R430 million last year. An exact figure is not available for this year’s losses, but gross estimates put it close to R500 million,” Van der Merwe said.
Citrus prices had been driven up as Brazil suffered various setbacks this season.
“The favourable prices will help farmers at least break even, but there won’t be any money to replace orchards. The primary goal now would be to fix the damage. The problem is that farmers must cash in when prices are high, as market conditions are generally less favourable in the two years that follow.”
Little clarity was available about plans with the R303; the only entrance and access road to Citrusdal, which had washed away three times in the past two years. The road had to be upgraded to accommodate the way in which Citrusdal had grown over the past few years.
To reconnect with the outside world, the community was forced to use a private bridge on Mouton’s Citrus farm. Van der Merwe said that this caused a heavy traffic load on Citrusdal’s main road, leaving this road in desperate need of repair.
