The frequency and severity of veld fires are expected to continue increasing in South Africa and the damage could result in higher food prices, as this severely impacts on farm production costs, says financial services firm FNB Agriculture head of information and marketing Dawie Maree.

During the dry and windy conditions of the latter part of the growing season, and amid other factors arising from climate change, farmers across KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Free State, Western Cape, the Karoo and Gauteng grapple with severe veld fires.

The losses are significant when considering the hectares of crop and grazing land that is destroyed, the death of livestock and the damage done to costly energy, irrigation and other farm infrastructure, making it challenging for some farmers to recover quickly, he adds.

“We are urging farmers to put the necessary measures in place to mitigate against the risk of veld fires. Between now and the beginning of the rainy season around October and November, veld fires can spread quickly, destroying farms and leaving relentless devastation,” he adds.

Additionally, risk management measures should be put in place throughout the year to manage and control the risks of veld fires.

Farmers must consider having a fire management plan and collaborating with government and other farmers within their local fire protection associations to follow procedures or protocols that will avoid disasters when starting fire in their areas, Maree advises.

“Considering South Africa’s escalating food-price inflation and the ongoing challenges faced by farmers, this adds to food-security issues by impacting on both the supply and price of food.”

Further, meat in particular, which is currently the biggest driver of food inflation after surging to a 25-month high in June, is at the highest risk as the death of animals, feed supplies, pasture and storage facility losses could put meat producers under more pressure than what they are currently experiencing as a result of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, he says.

“While veld fires are not unique to South Africa, their frequency and severity continue to put farmers on the financial back foot. Taking a proactive approach and ensuring that risk measures are in place will go a long way to mitigating these risks,” Maree recommends.

Farmers should always keep fire equipment in good condition, maintain adequate firebreaks, have adequate insurance and have regular stakeholder engagements with local communities to raise awareness and educate them about veld fires, he adds.