Sugarcane farmers in KZN happy with last week’s heavy rains

Sugarcane farmers in KwaZulu-Natal have welcomed last week’s heavy rains across parts of the province.

South African Farmers Development Association (Safda) executive chairman, Dr Siyabonga Madlala says the recent rains will positively impact sugarcane production.

He says this should ultimately generate more revenue for farmers.

“Rains are always welcomed. Especially in January when under normal circumstances we get very hot [weather patterns in] January that normally dries our moisture. I mean sugar loves rain. In other normal circumstances where there is enough water they do irrigate, but we know that a large number of our small scale farmers are farming on rain fed areas.”

“We really are only counting on rain, the sugar cane crop loves water, the only challenge we have is that we don’t have enough fertilizer. We are really appealing on [to] government to assist us because the price of fertilizer as it were has tripled,” explains Madlala.

Financial relief for sugar cane farmers: Thandokwakhe Sibiya

[embedded content]