KZN floods: R200m setback for province's sugarcane farmers

The South African Canegrowers Association says they have lost over R200 million. 

It says the rains destroyed over 2 500 hectares of cane due to extensive crop and root damage. 

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The association says it sent a report on the damage to the national government on Tuesday after it was requested by several departments. 

The association's CEO Thomas Funke says urgent financial and infrastructure relief is needed for all affected growers.

"A number of local roads and bridges were also washed away, which are not only the main transport nodes to mills but also the access routes for farm inputs and workers employed on these farms. 

"This catastrophic damage comes just as many canegrowers had started recovering from the riots and arson attacks that took place in July last year, which saw 554 000 tons of cane being burnt and R84 million in losses."

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"It is clear that this latest tragedy could be the final death knell for hundreds of canegrowers and the rural livelihoods they support. In particular, small-scale growers are most at risk of not recovering from losses of this magnitude."