Farmers can take protective measures to limit the impact of cold fronts on their crops and livestock, where possible farmers can cover their crops with protective materials, using windbreaks, and providing adequate shelter for livestock can help reduce the impact of cold weather.
This was the advice of Dr Mpho Mathithibane, executive manager of operations at the Land Bank insurance company.
This comes as the South African Weather Services (SAWS) has warned of an intense cold front/mid-latitude cyclone to bring a significant drop in atmospheric pressure and strong winds, leading to high waves and storm surge along the west and south-east coastline of SA, in places between Alexander Bay and Gqeberha for this week.
A storm surge is an abnormal rise of seawater over and above predicted astronomical tides, generated by a storm or intense weather system.
Mathithibane said the inclement cold weather could have a significant impact on both crops and livestock.
“The severity will depend on the intensity and duration of the cold weather. With regard to the crops, cold weather events like frost, freezes or prolonged periods of low temperatures can damage or destroy crops, by damaging the cells, creating ice crystals within plants leading to delayed maturity or plant damage,” he said.
“While with livestock, cold stress can lead to reduced weight gain, illness, and even death. All these may lead to an increase in claims as the Land Bank does provide a frost cover for crop as well as livestock cover against freezing.”
Mathithibane added that in some cases where farmers have the resources, they can also use irrigation to limit the frost damages.
“It is important that the farmers closely monitor the weather forecasts in order to take necessary actions. It is also important to combine risk-management strategies with insurance in order to stay protected in case of a loss,” he said.
“For the farmers that are insured, it is necessary to ensure that their policies are up to date.”
On Monday, the Western Cape provincial disaster management centre (PDMC) received reports from the various districts as well as the Western Cape government departments earlier after the first of several intense cold fronts made landfall over the weekend.
Significant rainfall had been recorded for the period between Sunday and Monday with Ceres receiving 123mm and Elgin Grabouw 84mm. Observatory in Cape Town recorded 47mm, and Stellenbosch measured 68mm for the same period.
SAWS said a series of cold fronts were still on track to make landfall, resulting in a week of wet and cold conditions.
The Land Bank said it was fully capacitated to deal with claims effectively and efficiently. It said that the crop risk was, however, limited at this period as the summer crop harvests are concluding, with the winter crop season just starting.
Meanwhile, Daniel Stevens, head of agriculture insurance at Santam, said the storms were in the Western Cape where they did not have much exposure from a crop insurance perspective.
Stevens said hail was also not a significant issue in the Western Cape and their markets were mainly in the northern parts.
He said Santam was focusing on crop insurance providing cover against hail, fire, in transit, and locust damage for field crops like maize, soya, sunflowers, dry beans, vegetables and fruit.
“We are entering the end of the 2023/2024 season and more than 95%+ of the crops have already been harvested. The weather will have no impact on our exposure as most of the crops are harvested and matured,” he said.
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