Heatwave worsens drought conditions for Limpopo’s livestock farmers

Livestock farmers in some parts of Limpopo say the heatwave has exacerbated the drought conditions in the province. The province experienced a spate of severe heatwaves last week.

Cattle farmer Prince Netshitudzi has now resorted to feeding his cattle with tomatoes but it is not enough. Netshitudzi says he will be forced to quit the business if the situation does not change.

“It affects us a lot, as you can see, we are farming on the communal land, we do not have grazing cams and that makes it difficult for us. Last month I was forced to sell nine of my cattle just to buy feed for the remaining cows together with their calves. The problem is the lack of rainfall, in our area, it last rained in January 2024. If it could rain more often maybe our livestock could return to their normal state.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture spokesperson Mashudu Mabata says her department is calling on farmers to visit their offices to seek assistance.

“The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is working tirelessly on issues concerning drought to make sure that challenges affecting livestock farmers caused by drought are dealt with, as a department,  we are making a humble plea to all livestock farmers who are affected by drought to visit their nearest agriculture district offices to complete the necessary documentation so that they can get assistance from the department.  We have embarked on campaigns to inform our farmers on how best they can access help from the department.”