Eastern Cape MEC for Rural Development and Agragrian Reform, Mlibo Qoboshiyane, says farmers and communities in drought-stricken areas of Ugie and Maclear have requested him to increase the provision of rain tanks as well as the quantity of emergency feed.
Qoboshiyane is visiting several areas in the north-east of the Eastern Cape to assess the impact of the provincial government's drought intervention programme and what further help they would require.
He told Algoa FM News that after meeting commercial, subsistence and emerging farmers it was clear that crops planted last November had not yet germinated.
In Joe Gqabi the department delivered 150 tons of lucerne, 75 tons of hay, 15- 40 kg blocks of mineral lick, 100 rainwater tanks with fitted livestock equipment, 760 000 liters of water to 76 sites with more water still being carted to rainwater tanks in Lundini.
The department is in the process of procuring services of skilled individuals to help revive boreholes and windmills as another solution to the current water challenges in the District.
Though farmers and villagers appreciate government's intervention, there is a need to increase quantities of livestock feed, rainwater tanks and liters of water to the tanks, reservoirs as well as to hasten reviving windmills and boreholes to help farmers.
Farmers in this district lost about 355 cattle and 44 sheep in this district alone.
