AFTER being forced to spend R19 000 replanting sugar cane allegedly destroyed by wandering community cattle, a Heatonville farmer has reached the end of his tether.
‘Despite no grazing agreements in place, at least 62 head of cattle have been grazing my farm for the past three months,’ said the farm manager who did not wish to be named.
Attempting to salvage his farm, which was all but destroyed by a negligent tenant, the farmer has the added stress of these cattle.
According to the farmer, a neighbouring farm was bought by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR), whose tenant is hardly ever there, hosts raucous parties when he is, and has not paid his workers in months.
‘This could be a reason community cattle are allowed to roam,’ he said.
Of the Heatonville ‘land reform’ farms, the majority are allegedly neglected. Lower production, less availability of sugar and the loss of jobs are realistic knock-on effects.
The DRDLR could not comment on speculation that land reform farms are not being attended to by their beneficiaries, nor on those beneficiaries’ private lives.
However, it did say Heatonville is a difficult area to farm, owing to low annual rainfall and water scarcity.
‘It is an area which does not befit the current PLAS (proactive land acquisition strategy) programme, which looks at strategically located areas with high annual rainfall, good water sources and fertile soils,’ said a spokesperson.
On the wandering cattle issue, DRDLR said ‘farmers are encouraged to create cordial relationships with the communities they neighbour’.
Regarding the farmer’s added concerns about passionate disadvantaged farmers not receiving land reform farms, DRDLR said, ‘There are many emerging black farmers who are interested in our programmes but there are not enough farms to allocate to them. The department is working with all sectors to fast track land reform’.
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