Floods in Western Cape an Agricultural disaster

WESTERN CAPE – The Western Cape MEC for Agriculture Ivan Meyer says the province faces a massive disaster following the devastating floods. The floods killed at least two people in the Overberg and West Coast regions and displaced thousands of others. The province has experienced severe weather since last week resulting in localised flooding.

Addressing the media on Monday, Meyer said the agriculture and farming community, which exports citrus fruit, has been badly affected by the floods. “We are facing a massive disaster; all the people working on the West Coast are employed in the agriculture sector. The farming community in this area just came out of Covid-19, which had a substantial negative impact on this region.

Then it was followed by the implications of the war in Ukraine, which had a massive negative knock-on effect on the production capability of agriculture,” he added.

Humanitarian aid organisations handed over necessities, including food, water and blankets, to more than 1000 residents in flood-hit Rawsonville and surrounding areas.