KZN farmers say veld fires lower this year
Farmers in KwaZulu-Natal say they have seen fewer veld fires this winter compared to last year, but they are staying alert.
The African Farmers' Association of South Africa says 2024 was a devastating year, with crops and thousands of livestock lost in out-of-control blazes.
Chairperson Mbongeni Sikhakhane says this year has been different.
He believes the drop in fire incidents is due to calmer weather conditions.
" We are not experiencing a lot of wind, but it doesn't mean that farmers must not be cautious all the time. We must stay ready at all times because anything can happen."
READ: 'Extremely dangerous’ winter fire warnings issued for KZN
He says while they get support from the department to prevent fires from spreading, farmers are also doing their part to act responsibly.
" We depend on the stakeholders like the Department of Agriculture to provide more resources when this fire happens, but most of the time we have training for farmers to teach them how to fight if they experience fire."
This week, authorities issued extremely dangerous winter fire warnings for KZN, but no fires were reported.
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