The plan, which was approved earlier this month, outlines how funds will be spent after Deputy President, David Mabuza, committed R30 million for immediate drought relief to the province. MEC Nomandla Bloem attended the first intervention by government handing over fodder bales to affected farmers in the Ritchie district at the Rietrivier Research Station on Thursday. Bloem told OFM News a total of R3 million has been allocated to the Frances Baard District Municipality, and the first outreach in the Ritchie area amounted to R56 000 worth of fodder being purchased.  Bloem says the department will next be focusing on the hardest hit areas in, among others, the Namakwa region.

Meanwhile, no rain is expected for the Northern Cape in the coming week, but lower maximum temperatures are expected to continue. A forecaster at the Bloemfontein Weather Office, Michael Nethavhani, says there was some relief from extreme heat conditions in areas in this drought-stricken province this week. He says while no rain is expected in the Northern Cape next week, some isolated to scattered showers and thunder showers are, however, predicted for next week Thursday. Most areas in North West and the Free State can expect rain, excluding the south western part of the Free State.

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A total of R50 million in emergency funding to assist farmers in severely affected drought areas has been approved by the Western Cape cabinet. The funds will be allocated specifically to provide two months' of fodder support to farmers in the drought-stricken Central Karoo District, Matzikamma and Little Karoo areas. MEC for Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, said the drought situation in the province will be felt for many years to come, especially in the rural areas where agriculture is the main generator of the Western Cape economy. He said the agricultural and agri-processing sectors contributed 36.1% to exports from the province last year.

OFM News