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Hazardous Environment

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Hazardous Environment

Eksteenskuil is a hazardous location within which to farm. Whilst the river is literally the lifeblood of the farming community, providing irrigation, its proximity creates a constant threat of flooding. In most years the river does not exceed 2 metres in height. However, on 5 occasions in the last 80 years it has risen to more than 7.5 metres, including in 2011 during this research project. The impacts can be catastrophic for farmers in more vulnerable locations. The 2011 floods, resulting from rainfall further to the east in the Orange River’s vast catchment, lasted for several weeks and included two peaks. Flood damage was compounded by unseasonal local rainfall, which affected the raisins as they were drying. Indeed, rainfall exceeding the normal annual total fell during February and March alone. More on the floods can be found in the ‘2011 Floods’ section of this site.

Vehicles crossing flooded bridges as the waters dropped.
Storm clouds building over Middle Island on a December afternoon.

Other hazards associated with the area include frosts, which if they occur at the wrong point in the growing cycle, can have significant impacts upon the productivity of vines. Frosts affect some specific locations within the islands more than others. Summer rains usually occur in thundery conditions, which can lead to serious localised hailstorms, which cause significant damage to property and vines. The hot and damp conditions can also be an excellent breeding ground for pests and diseases. In some areas vervet monkeys are keen to help themselves to grapes and other fruits.

Storm clouds building over Middle Island on a December afternoon.
A member of a North Island monkey troop racing through Gert Titus’s vines. The monkeys cause a lot of crop damage.

Thus, there are a whole host of hazards that can threaten the productivity of farms in any given year. Occurrences of these hazards tend to be quite localised, such that some farmers are confronted by more hazard risk than others. The small scale of farms means that farmers lack the resources to effectively mitigate or absorb the impacts of hazards. One family recounted how their ability to cope with the 2011 floods had been lessened as they had been forced to sell their cows after the 2002 hailstorm.