KwaZulu-Natal’s agricultural sector is reeling after floods and storms earlier this year caused an estimated R65 million in damages, leaving many farmers — especially small-scale growers — facing financial ruin.
The figures were revealed by Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa, MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, during a debate in the KZN Legislature last week. She stressed that the brunt of the losses had been carried by emerging and smallholder farmers, many of whom saw their entire harvests washed away in the January and March floods.
Farmers Left Without Safety Nets
Most of these farmers have no insurance or financial reserves, making recovery almost impossible without state intervention. According to Madlopha-Mthethwa, the situation is now a direct threat to food security in the province.
“These farmers form the backbone of rural food production. Yet, despite these significant losses, they have not received any compensation from government. Their livelihoods remain under threat — and so does the broader agriculture sector,” she said.
She called for a ring-fenced disaster relief fund, alongside climate resilience initiatives and infrastructure upgrades that can withstand future extreme weather.
Opposition Pushes for Accountability
DA agriculture spokesperson Sakhile Mngadi echoed these concerns, criticizing delays in government compensation. He proposed the creation of a Provincial Agricultural Disaster Risk and Recovery Fund, with a commitment to pay 80% of verified claims within 30 days and full transparency on all payouts.
“This is not just a farming problem; it is a provincial crisis,” Mngadi said, adding that such a fund would also invest in drought-resistant seeds, water systems, livestock health, and cold-chain facilities.
Other parties — including the IFP, EFF, MKP, NFP, and ANC MPLs — supported calls for both short-term relief and long-term adaptation, such as climate-smart farming, subsidised insurance, better drainage systems, and early warning technologies.
Farmers’ Voices From the Ground
While politicians debated, farmers on the ground said they are still waiting for help.
- Nkosingiphile Nhlenyama, a small-scale sugar cane grower near Jozini Dam, said 2.5 hectares of his crop have been destroyed by floods since 2022.
“I’m still waiting for help. I don’t have the funds to keep replanting. We know the risks of farming near the dam, but we have no other choice. We just have to deal with what comes,” he said. - Mahen Reddy, a sugar cane farmer from Tongaat, said his farm was damaged first by a tornado in 2024 and then by repeated floods this year.
“We had to rebuild on our own because government help never came. Thankfully I had insurance, but most of the small farmers around me didn’t — some have already shut down. For them, it may be too late,” he said.
A Sector on the Brink
The continued delays in relief and mounting damages have left many KZN farmers in despair, with some abandoning farming altogether. Without urgent intervention, both farmers’ livelihoods and the province’s food security face a deepening crisis.
