Citrus producers in the Eastern Cape’s Gamtoos River Valley are preparing for another weather challenge as forecasts indicate heavy, potentially destructive rainfall from Wednesday through Friday. The warning comes as the agricultural sector works to recover from severe flooding that struck the region last month.
A level-five alert from the South African Weather Service highlights the risk of damaging precipitation across Kouga, Koukamma Municipality, and the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. For farmers still repairing flood-damaged orchards and infrastructure, the timing poses a significant threat to both current harvests and financial stability.
Grewar Oosthuizen, Vice Chair of Agri Gamtoos, reported that the May floods affected roughly 20 to 25 percent of this season’s citrus crop. “When we assign a monetary value to that impact, we’re looking at approximately 600 million rands in lost income for this season alone,” Oosthuizen explained. He noted that vegetable growers supplying major retailers experienced even greater setbacks, with crop losses reaching as high as 80 percent.
In anticipation of the incoming weather, growers are accelerating harvest operations. Waldo Kleyn, a citrus farmer in the region, said teams are working to pick and transport fruit to packhouses while conditions allow. “We’re trying to get as much as possible off the trees and into storage to preserve what we can,” Kleyn stated. He added that crews are also focused on clearing roads and removing debris from bridges to minimize infrastructure damage should flooding recur.
Khaya Katoo, another local citrus producer, shared concerns about preparedness. “Honestly, it’s difficult to know how to prepare,” Katoo said. He described digging drainage trenches across his property to redirect potential floodwaters but expressed doubt about their effectiveness given the intensity of the previous deluge. “With the flood we already experienced, even those measures might not be sufficient.”
Public officials are urging residents, especially those in vulnerable low-lying zones, to stay alert. Nonceba Kontsiwe, Eastern Cape Agriculture MEC, recommended that communities avoid flood-prone areas and relocate livestock to higher ground. Addressing the challenge of protecting permanent crops, Kontsiwe noted, “For fruit trees, we can only hope they sustain minimal damage, as they cannot be moved from the soil.”
Hattingh Bornman, Mayor of Kouga, confirmed that municipal teams are prioritizing stormwater management and road safety. “We anticipate flooding in specific locations, particularly towns where water has pooled or dams are full,” Bornman said. “Our focus is on clearing drainage systems and ensuring roads remain passable to prevent accidents.”
Assessments of the total damage from the May floods remain incomplete, as damaged or blocked roads continue to limit access to certain farms. As the region monitors the latest weather developments, citrus growers face the dual challenge of completing recovery efforts while safeguarding this season’s remaining harvest against further disruption.