'Aid not for commercial farms'
2003-10-28 09:56
Polokwane - Commercial and game farmers in Limpopo are upset because most of them have been excluded from the government's drought aid to the province.
Gert Rall of AgriSA in Limpopo says it's "outright discrimination" that commercial farmers have been excluded.
He says the department of agriculture started distributing application forms for drought-aid fodder in Limpopo about two weeks ago.
"Game farmers, also suffering severely because of the drought, may not apply for the fodder," says Rall.
He says fodder is being supplied to farmers who don't have more than 30 head of cattle.
"It's obvious the drought aid is aimed directly at small farmers. It's not fair, because commercial farmers are also suffering from the effects of the drought."
Meanwhile, the national department of agriculture has started drilling boreholes in Limpopo to bring relief.
At van Coller, senior manager of the directorate of water usage and irrigation management, says several boreholes have been drilled in the Bochum and Blouberg districts.
Screening process for boreholes
These districts have received priority because they are suffering the worst. The districts of Alldays, Lephalale, Thabazimbi, Soutpansberg, Blouberg, Mogalakwena, Musina, Mutal and Makhado were declared disaster areas earlier.
Van Coller said the boreholes of small farmers were drilled and upgraded free of charge, but commercial farmers had to pay R110 a metre.
"Commercial farmers in the disaster areas are receiving priority when drilling programmes are drawn up. They pay by the metre."
Van Coller says that so far there are 193 boreholes in the province, which either had to be sunk or upgraded.
"Applications are still streaming in and they go through a selection process before work can begin."
He said R10m had been made available for the process.
About R4m was being used to buy pumps and other equipment and the other R6m was being used, among other things, to clean boreholes.
The department of agriculture in Limpopo hasn't reacted to the dissatisfaction of some farmers about the drought aid.