Heatwave and load shedding: A disastrous combination for farming

Without electricity, farmers cannot irrigate their crops. The current conditions lead to both less yield and poorer quality produce. 

GOVERNMENT TO BLAME

According to a Times Live article, Agri Limpopo said stage 6 load shedding will push the entire food chain into the red. 

“Without power there is no water for irrigation. Add to this the ongoing heatwave conditions experienced here in Limpopo, and we have a recipe for a disaster,” said Deidre Carter, CEO of Agri Limpopo. “As farmers we deal with living organisms. Without power to pump and supply water these organisms die or have stunted growth – more so given our current climatic conditions.”

Agri Limpopo expressed its anger and stated that the government does not have consideration for the agricultural sector. “Government is wholly responsible for sabotaging the agricultural sector, our food security and the wellbeing of our nation as a whole,” it said.

ALSO READ: Very hot and extremely hot weather conditions to continue on Monday

ROTTEN TOMATOES

A tomato farmer in the district, Lefosi Makgahlela, said that the current conditions not only cause less tomatoes but also that the tomatoes that can be harvested, are of a much poorer quality, as reported by SABC News. Watch the full report. 

ALSO READ: South Africa’s agriculture sector struggles with power cuts

LINK BETWEEN HOT WEATHER AND POWER CUTS

Chris Yelland, an energy analyst, explained how the current weather conditions affect the loadshedding schedule, as reported by IOL. One reason he gave for a higher electricity demand, is the increased use of air conditioning.

“On the supply side, the hot weather does impact the output of some of Eskom’s largest coal-fired power stations, and in particular Majuba, Medupi and Kusile because these are all what is known as dry air-cooled power stations, and in the hot weather the air is hotter and therefore the cooling is not as good and this impacts on the output of the generators, they have to reduce output in order to avoid overheating,” Yelland said.

ALSO READ: Eskom: Ratings agency gives power utility an UPGRADE

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES BY MARZANNE JANSE VAN RENSBURG