Overberg Battling Unprecedented Wildfires Ahead of Dry El Niño Season
Loading player...
Farmersweekly.co.za reports that the Western Cape is bracing for a fiery summer as a developing El Niño is expected to increase the risk of fires in the Overberg. Reinard Geldenhuys, Manager of Protection Services at the Overberg District Municipality, told a stakeholder meeting in Bredasdorp on 8 September that the region had already experienced a particularly difficult 2025/26 fire season. Seven fires were recorded in October and November last year, burning a total of 25 000ha along a fire line stretching 240km. Geldenhuys said firefighters had experienced what he described as “extreme fire behaviour” unlike anything he had seen in 30 years of firefighting. With El Niño expected to bring lower rainfall and higher temperatures to the Western Cape, authorities are preparing for an increased fire risk in the months ahead.
Policy certainty, farm profitability, rural safety, and water security were among the key issues raised at the TLU SA Congress 2026, held in Pretoria on 2 September. Under the theme ‘Agriculture: Grounded. Protected. Preserved’, speakers warned that commercial agriculture cannot remain productive if farmers are continually expected to compensate for failing public services, deteriorating infrastructure and policy uncertainty. TLU SA President Henry Geldenhuys said food security depended not only on what happened on farms, but also on whether producers could remain profitable, invest, and plan for the future. Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp, meanwhile, called for greater cooperation between government, the private sector, and organised agriculture, particularly in areas such as animal health and expanding agricultural markets.
And…Hortgro’s 2025 Key Deciduous Fruit Statistics show record apple and pear export volumes, while a largely stable planted area masks significant shifts in crop mix and orchard replacement. Rising input costs and logistics remain key constraints for producers. Hortgro has released its 2025 Key Deciduous Fruit Statistics, showing record apple and pear export volumes, alongside a changing production landscape. Total deciduous fruit area stood at 53 832 hectares, little changed from the previous two seasons, with industry turnover at R25,14 billion and 48% of production exported. The number of pome and stone fruit producers declined to 1 109, from 1 128 in 2024 and 1 155 in 2023, pointing to continued consolidation in the sector.
For more news and trusted information about agriculture in South Africa, visit farmersweekly.co.za
Policy certainty, farm profitability, rural safety, and water security were among the key issues raised at the TLU SA Congress 2026, held in Pretoria on 2 September. Under the theme ‘Agriculture: Grounded. Protected. Preserved’, speakers warned that commercial agriculture cannot remain productive if farmers are continually expected to compensate for failing public services, deteriorating infrastructure and policy uncertainty. TLU SA President Henry Geldenhuys said food security depended not only on what happened on farms, but also on whether producers could remain profitable, invest, and plan for the future. Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp, meanwhile, called for greater cooperation between government, the private sector, and organised agriculture, particularly in areas such as animal health and expanding agricultural markets.
And…Hortgro’s 2025 Key Deciduous Fruit Statistics show record apple and pear export volumes, while a largely stable planted area masks significant shifts in crop mix and orchard replacement. Rising input costs and logistics remain key constraints for producers. Hortgro has released its 2025 Key Deciduous Fruit Statistics, showing record apple and pear export volumes, alongside a changing production landscape. Total deciduous fruit area stood at 53 832 hectares, little changed from the previous two seasons, with industry turnover at R25,14 billion and 48% of production exported. The number of pome and stone fruit producers declined to 1 109, from 1 128 in 2024 and 1 155 in 2023, pointing to continued consolidation in the sector.
For more news and trusted information about agriculture in South Africa, visit farmersweekly.co.za
