As some parts of South Africa begin to recuperate from severe drought conditions, the Western Cape and its agricultural sector remain hard hit.

As a result of poor rainfall last winter, the Department of Water and Sanitation has decided to implement a further 10% reduction of water usage across the province’s agricultural sector.

This was announced by Minister Jeff Radebe during a media briefing in Cape Town which highlighted the outcomes of a Cabinet meeting held on 1 March.

Radebe said “The water restrictions will remain until the dams fill up to 85% of their capacity.”

“In order to assist with the difficulties with regard to water availability in the Western Cape, attempts need to be instituted to provide greater comfort in the form of additional, alternate water supply sources that must be on standby should inadequate water be received for this season,” he added.

According to a GreenCape market intelligence report, the market for industrial water reuse in the Western Cape is R600 million and is expected to grow rapidly.

Poor rainfall and an increase in population have placed further strain on water supply in the province.

Economic impact on agricultural sector

The GreenCape market intelligence report indicated that the agricultural sector has contracted by almost 15% from R78 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014 to R66 billion in the second quarter of 2016.

It added that majority of this decline can be attributed to the recent drought.

The 2015 maize crop, at just under 10 million tonnes, was the lowest in South Africa since 2007, when it fell to 7 million tonnes.

According to a GreenCape analysis, “No new water allocations for agriculture in South Africa are likely to occur and there is a consensus that the National Development Plan’s 500,000 ha of new agricultural production is unrealistic due to water availability, with studies coming in at around 180,000 ha.”

The report suggested that new agricultural production can be unlocked through:

• efficiency gains elsewhere or on farms;
• investment in irrigation scheme infrastructure; and
• groundwater extraction.

The report indicated that business opportunities are being presented for small-scale brackish or wastewater treatment solutions on farms, and added that technology solutions depend on the incoming water quality, where a suite of treatment systems are designed.

However, in other parts of the country, agricultural sectors have not been affected as heavy rains have brought much needed relief.

Heavy rains and flash floods

At the media briefing, Radebe acknowledged increasing volumes that have been recorded in dams and rivers as a result of recent heavy rains in some part of the country. However, he noted that the possibility of flash flooding remains high.

“We call on communities to remain vigilant of flash flooding which could lead to the loss of life, destruction to property and infrastructure,” he said. “Government and its agencies are actively monitoring the situation and are ready to act where necessary.”

During the Cabinet meeting, Radebe said progress was made regarding the distribution of animal feeds to support farmers in the country’s drought affected areas.

The initiative is part of the R212 million which government made available in the 2016/17 financial year to assist affected farmers across the country.