Smart strategies for conserving water on Cape fruit farms

South Africa is facing increasing levels of water stress, marked by erratic rainfall patterns and longer periods of drought. Lindi Botha looks at five case studies of fruit farms in the Western Cape, where the producers are implementing smarter water-management strategies to make every drop count.

- Lindi Botha

The Western Cape is a hub of fruit production in South Africa, providing the bulk of our stone and pome fruit. But farmers are reporting drier conditions, with most seeing vast reductions in annual rainfall.

Joubert Stemmet, senior production manager at Elandsrivier Farming close to Ceres, says that while the farm has traditionally been dry and they have always had to work carefully with water, the 2023 season was particularly dry.

"We received 133mm less rain than the average of the previous three years. Water is absolutely a source of life for all of us. In this valley there are farms whose dams are overflowing, but we are unfortunately not in that position. At this point, I think we have just enough water to get through the season." Further north towards the Cederberg lies Kunje Farm, which produces stone fruit, pome fruit, and citrus on 170ha. Kunje gets its water from a river system that runs from the mountains into the larger Twee River system. They, too, are concerned about the water in the Twee River region.

Theunis Hanekom, owner of Kunje Farm, says that since the farm lies in a winter rainfall area, their biggest challenge is having enough water in summer. In the past, they were always able to farm sustainably, irrigating from a river that was relatively consistent.

"But the river has increasingly been under pressure. The drought across the Western Cape and in our region made us all realise the importance of water, and we started looking at water through new eyes," says Hanekom.

He is part of a growing group of farmers who are intensifying water management to ensure their operations remain afloat.

Over the past few years, Blue North Sustainability has been compiling case studies for marketing and distribution company Worldwide Fruit as part of the latter's water stewardship programme, to highlight where progress has been made.