A LETTER in the Sun which elicited a number of comments on sugarcane ash descending over residential areas has resulted in the release of a statement by the the Umzinto Conservation and Sezela Environmental Committee.
The association introduced a cane burning code of practice in 2000.
Farmers delivering cane to the Sezela Mill have changed their farming practises to ensure smut fall-out over residential areas are minimised. In addition, a ‘no burn zone’ was introduced during 2007. This Sezela protocol declares all sugar cane south of the Umkomaas River, north of the Ifafa River and east of the N2 freeway, may not be burnt except under the following conditions:
- · Strategic safety.
- · Agronomic reasons – high eldana pest infestation and replanting of field requires burn off of plant material.
This voluntary no-burn zone totals some 2,140 hectares in extent.
A cane fire is extremely dangerous and difficult to manage, requiring considerable experience and ‘nerve’. Farmers take extra care to ensure the safety of their staff and property and will only burn once all the necessary precautions and planning has taken place. Constant monitoring of weather patterns and particularly wind direction takes place before any fire is ignited. Burning control log sheets must be recorded and submitted to a regional leader, to assist with investigations and record-keeping.
Arson fires are a real and unfortunate reality and are in many cases the cause for smut fall-out. As a result the fire is at a time when the farmer had not intended or planned to burn and therefore will take place in unfavourable weather conditions. This results in extremely dangerous working conditions when attempting to extinguish the fire.
To lodge complaints in eThekwini Municipality sub-district South 1 from Amanzimtoti to Mahlongwa River, contact Wazir Khan on 039-973-2908 or 083-281-7896.
It is important that a complainant records specific information, which will assist regional leaders to determine where the smuts fallout originated. Information required are date and time of fall-out; wind direction at time of fall-out and severity of smuts fall-out (high, medium, low).
All public complaints must be sent to the local municipality. The regional leader will receive the written complaint from the municipality and along with the weekly log sheets, investigate the complaint. The regional leader will address both the complainant and the defaulting farmer. Records of all complaints and offending farmers will be recorded and discussed at LEC meetings.
A grower who is declared responsible for smut fall-out over a residential area through the monitoring system in place will receive two warnings. On the third fall-out offence, the grower receives a two-day delivery forfeit sanctioned by the Sezela Mill Group board. The same will apply if growers do not submit their burning logs to their regional leaders. This is a harsh penalty, which has a direct effect of reducing the grower’s income during the period of non-delivery.
All complaints, warnings, and penalties have been recorded since 2000. Farmers have continuously improved their behaviour which has resulted in a downward trend for complaints received. In the Umkomaas, Scottburgh and Ifafa areas, it could be argued that the public have also become more tolerant as they have a greater understanding of the code of practice and the effort the farmers are employing to keep smut fall-out to a minimum.
