Farmers urged to step up veld fire mitigation efforts

As fire season gets underway, farmers are being urged to strengthen their fire management plans. Dawie Maree of FNB Agriculture warned of rising risks to food security and meat production.

- Octavia Avesca Spandiel

Farmers should strengthen their fire management plans as veld fires intensify across South Africa, according to Dawie Maree, head of information and marketing at FNB Agriculture. Maree said the cost of veld fire damage is far reaching, threatening both production and food supply.

“Considering South Africa’s escalating food price inflation and the ongoing challenges faced by farmers, this adds to food security issues by impacting both the supply and price of food,” he said.

RISING FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY

According to Maree, farmers across KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, the Free State, Western Cape, the Karoo and Gauteng have been grappling with recurring veld fires for more than a decade. The combination of dry and windy conditions, excess vegetation growth following heavy rains and the increasing influence of climate change is creating a dangerous cycle.

“More recently, the intensity has gone up because of good rainy seasons preceding the veld fire season. It all links up to climate change but cannot all be attributed to it,” he said.

He further added that the extent of damage depends on the timing of fires. “For instance, this year, with the late season, there are some farmers in the North West still harvesting maize.

“Should a huge veld fire now occur, some maize fields could be at risk. But in general, veld fires put the livestock farmers at risk due to the fact that grazing is burnt down.”