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South African farmers have been advised to put measures in place to mitigate against the risk of devastating veld first during this winter and spring season.
Head of Information and Marketing at FNB Agribusiness, Dawie Maree, says the warning comes as South Africa braces itself for hotter and drier EI Niño weather conditions, coupled with risks associated with load shedding.
"Over the years, we have seen the negative impact that veld fires have caused to farmers, in certain parts of the country, as they try to recover from a very difficult time that goes as far back as the 2015/2016 season during the drought," he said.
"During the dry season, veld fires can spread quickly destroying not only farms but also infrastructure and causing destruction in neighboring residential areas as well.
Maree said furthermore, power surge risks following load shedding, coupled with consumers mistakenly leaving items such as heaters and stoves on could potentially result in fires while the use of candles or outside fires also poses fire risks, especially in rural areas.
"After contracting by 12.3% year on year in the first quarter of 2023, the industry needs to take the necessary measures to avoid risk that can dampen confidence and growth of the sector going forward. Earlier indications show that the lingering EI Niño weather pattern may dampen the outlook if it turns out to be deeper than expectations," Maree said.
He said long-term disaster management plans should be put in place to manage and control the risks of veld fires.
"Veld fires are not unique to South Africa; the impact has been severe in the past and put farmers on the back foot after a challenging couple of years. Taking a proactive approach and ensuring that risk measures are in place will go a long way," Maree added.
