The media house is appealing to its loyal readers, advertisers and partners, to support the Drought Disaster Fund. The fund is administered by the country’s largest farmer’s union AgriSA, and supported by some of the biggest role-players in local agriculture like the giant agribusiness Senwes. Publications including Landbouweekblad, YOU, Huisgenoot, DRUM, Kuier, Move! and several of the group’s leading newspapers will be running campaigns continuously to drive support for the relief effort.

South Africa is one of only ten countries in the world who are able to net export food but is facing one of the worst droughts in the country’s history. The result will be skyrocketing food prices, a surge in unemployment, bankruptcies amongst farmers, a flood of urbanisation and possible food and water shortages.

South Africans must act now if they are to save their farmlands. To date, only 30% of the traditional summer crops have been planted, including food staples such as white maize and vegetables. The third consecutive dry year in many parts of the country has lead to cataclysmic drought conditions and the price of maize meal and vegetables doubling in the past year.

Affordability of basic food is not the only problem – availability is also not guaranteed. The estimated 7-million tons of maize that South Africa may need to import if conditions persist cannot be distributed through current port and rail infrastructure. The food shortages come in the wake of World Health Organisation (WHO) findings that up to 53% of South African children under the age of six months already suffers from malnutrition. The misery that this crisis can unleash on millions of South Africans can simply not be over emphasised.

This drought affects all food sectors including livestock farming, as well as eggs and dairy, where the cost of feed makes up 60% of total cost. With feed prices already up 40% to 70% in the past year, the intensifying drought will only drive costs higher as animal feed becomes scarcer.

Tragedies are already playing out on farms across the country: 
  • Farmers are caving under debt as crops fail and livestock perishes
  • 1000s of farm workers could lose their jobs
  • An estimated 300 000 black subsistence farmers face losing everything
  • 40 000 head of cattle have died in KwaZulu-Natal alone
The fate of our farmers lies in the hands of ordinary South Africans, private and corporate, and the farming organisations desperately trying to solicit help.Here’s how you can help:

Here’s how you can help:
  • SMS 42030 to donate R30
  • Visit www.droogterampfonds.co.za to make a bigger contribution
  • Follow the campaign in Landbouweekblad, YOU, Huisgenoot, DRUM, Kuier, Move! and several leading newspapers for further details
Only together we can make a difference.

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