Citrus farmers in the Gamtoos River Valley of the Eastern Cape are on high alert as forecasts predict heavy, potentially destructive rainfall between Wednesday and Friday, raising fresh concerns over production risks and financial losses just as the sector begins to recover from last month’s devastating floods.
The South African Weather Service has issued a level-five warning for severe rain affecting Kouga, Koukamma Municipality, and the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. The timing is particularly critical for growers still assessing damage from the May floods, which submerged orchards, damaged infrastructure, and disrupted export harvests.
Grewar Oosthuizen, Vice Chair of Agri Gamtoos, said approximately 20 to 25 percent of this year’s citrus crop was impacted by the earlier floods. “If we put the monetary value on that, you’re talking about 600 million rands in income losses for this season alone,” Oosthuizen stated. He added that vegetable farmers supplying supermarkets faced even steeper losses, with up to 80 percent of their crops destroyed.
With more rain imminent, farmers are rushing to salvage what they can. Waldo Kleyn, a local citrus farmer, described efforts to harvest fruit and transport it to packhouses before conditions worsen. “We try to pick as much as we can… to see if we can at least save something,” Kleyn said. He noted that crews are also clearing roads and debris from bridges to protect infrastructure from further damage.
Khaya Katoo, another citrus farmer, expressed uncertainty about preparedness. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know how to prepare anymore,” Katoo said, explaining that he has dug trenches on his farm to channel potential floodwaters. “But I’m not even sure if that is going to be enough because with the flood that we had, that couldn’t even help.”
Government officials are urging communities, particularly those in low-lying areas, to remain vigilant. Nonceba Kontsiwe, Eastern Cape Agriculture MEC, advised residents to avoid flood-prone zones and to move livestock to higher ground. Regarding orchards, she acknowledged the limits of intervention: “For the fruit and the trees, we can only pray that they don’t get damaged that much because there’s nothing we can do as they are fixed to the soil.”
Hattingh Bornman, Mayor of Kouga, confirmed that authorities anticipate localized flooding in towns and areas where water remains pooled. “We are working hard to make sure that we get those areas opened and cleared, storm water cleared, roads in a safe driving condition so that we don’t have any incidents,” Bornman said.
The full extent of damage from the May floods has not yet been quantified, as inaccessible roads continue to hinder assessments on some affected farms. As the region braces for another round of severe weather, the citrus sector faces a precarious test of resilience amid ongoing recovery efforts.
