According to a press release from Agri Western Cape, loads of lucerne, barley, chaff, and wheat straw were donated by producers in the Southern Cape and the Cape Metropole towards Agri WC’s drought relief initiative.
The feed was distributed to producers in the West Coast and Sandveld regions where available pasture dried up six weeks ago. Feed from the Southern Cape, which experienced a good rainfall this season, was also distributed to the rest of the country.
Potato producers in the Clanwillian, Lamberts Bay and Elands Bay regions donated 400t of potatoes to livestock producers in the Northern Cape.
The donation was made possible with the help of Potatoes SA and Simba. Twelve truckloads of potatoes were transported from Lamberts Bay to Upington with the help of Griekwaland-Wes Korporatief, while KLK Landbou assisted to distribute the potatoes to producers in Williston, Springbok, Upington, Olifantshoek and Kenhardt.
Due to the current drought farmers are paying up to R1 000/t or more for feed than last year. Producers, who can no longer afford to buy feed, have begun to sell their animals at below average prices to already crowded feedlots.
“Grain producers have already suffered huge losses and the crisis is spreading to our livestock producers. The shortage of feed is not only affecting our red meat producers, but is also putting the dairy and wool industries under severe pressure,” said Carl Oppeman, CEO of Agri Western Cape.
Opperman asked producers who still have feed available, to get in touch with Agri Western Cape. “The need is great,” he stressed.
