Farmers advised to factor in climate variability

Johan van den Berg, a specialist agricultural meteorologist, says long-term climate change and historical climate variability must be factored into agricultural planning, as they increasingly influence temperatures and rainfall patterns.

- Alida de Beer

Johan van den Berg

Van den Berg spoke at the Nedbank Agricultural Webinar on Wednesday 28 Januarie. He said the Southern Cape falls within a climatological strip in which there is a shift in weather patterns that could make it increasingly challenging for farmers to negotiate.

Long-term weather data indicate that the most severe droughts occur in this strip, because in some years it can have both a winter and summer rainfall season, and in "probably most of these years", both the winter and summer rainfall won't be sufficient. "So this is a high-risk area. If you are farming in this [area], there are special needs and special planning to factor in." This strip also includes areas like the Overberg and Tankwa Karoo.