North West looks like a desert

The drought has left large parts of North West so dry that the landscape now resembles a desert.

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Grain lands are parched and dry with all the soil moisture evaporated due to relentless winds and temperatures regularly exceeding 40°C. Grazing is all but destroyed.

Less than 15% of the province’s hectares earmarked for grain plantings have been planted so far and the little grain that was planted is struggling in the extreme conditions.


Farmer’s Weekly
journalist in South Africa’s central region, Annelie Coleman, compiled this photo gallery after a road trip between Leeudoornstad, Wolmaransstad and Makwassie.

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Annelie Coleman represents Farmer’s Weekly in the Free State, North West and Northern Cape. Agriculture is in her blood. She grew up on a maize farm in the Wesselsbron district where her brother is still continuing with the family business. Annelie is passionate about the area she works in and calls it ‘God’s own country’. She’s particularly interested in beef cattle farming, especially with the indigenous African breeds. She’s an avid reader and owns a comprehensive collection of Africana covering hunting in colonial Africa, missionary history of same period, as well as Rhodesian literature.