Heavy downpours are a threat to crops

Too much rain now can become problematic for farmers who still have to harvest as cut-off low systems bring about heavy downpours.

Agricultural organisaton TLU SA chair Bennie van Zyl said there had been a sense in the past year or so that rainfall patterns had shifted.

Unusual patterns

He said the rain usually stopped at the end of April with a shower here and there.

“We would usually get rain in October, November and December with a slight drought in January and then some more rain in February, March and April when it starts drying up.

“Now, it is like the pattern has shifted and these past few years it has been difficult to evaluate the patterns, which makes it difficult for a seed farmer who has to harvest before the winter cold sets in,” he said.

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Effect on crops

Van Zyl said this season many farmers planted late due to late rains.

“It seems we got good rainfall for the season after they planted, but it is starting to become problematic because it is too wet to harvest soya beans,” he said.

Van Zyl said that in some places sunflowers drowned and rotted due to extensive rainfall.

“Too much rain right now can be a problem and cause damage to the crop if farmers cannot harvest soon.”

‘Not unusual’

However, Vox weather meteorologist Michelle du Plessis said: “Rainfall in late autumn is still considered normal in South Africa, especially across the interior and eastern regions, due to the transitional nature of the season. It is not unusual.”

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