28 Jul 2021

Several horticultural farmers in the Shashe Cluster and Ditladi areas are counting losses running into millions of Pula, following the recent cold spell.

The adverse weather conditions caught farmers unaware as temperatures dropped significantly, with negative four (-4) recorded Friday in some areas.

This caused damage to mainly tomatoes, according to the managing director of Direct Offers Farm, east of Tonota along the banks of the Shashe River, who recorded the temperature.

Mr Anthony Peel explained that he had lost approximately P1.5 million from the five and half hectares of tomatoes due to the adverse temperatures.

He said the frosty conditions that began at around 0400hrs on Friday, had caused a lot of damage by 1000hrs.

Mr Peel said he suspected that the frost was caused by polar winds, which were ravaging South Africa, adding that the situation might recur.

He was of the view that the price of tomatoes might increase looking at the extent of damage caused by the frost.

Mr Peel revealed that he also lost seedlings worth P100 000 that included tomatoes, potatoes, butternuts, green pepper, carrots and Chinese vegetables.

However, he said this was something that he had been prepared for looking at the extent of damage caused by a similar frost in South Africa.

Another farmer, Ms Segametsi Montsho of Leomboko ward, who focuses mainly on oranges, said the frost also affected her production.

Ms Montsho, who started her production in 1979 with 239 orange trees, said she was now left with only 157 trees.

She said in a good year, one tree could produce 16 bags of oranges, but with the extent of damage, she would harvest nothing this time around.

Ms Montsho said it was by the grace of God that her regular clients were schools, which were currently closed.

Tonota Sub-district crop production officer, Mr Phetogo Molefi said farmers, through their association, had notified his office of the disaster that had befallen them.

He said the Crop Production Department in Tonota was working with farmers to establish the extend of the damage.

“We are aware of the frost and we are working with farmers to assess the extent of damage caused and the total number of hectares affected,” he added.

Mr Molefi appealed to farmers to exercise crop planning, saying tomatoes were not supposed to be planted during winter, due to bad weather conditions.

He said to survive the frost, one should practice protected cultivation and follow seasonal cropping plans.

He also shared Mr Peel’s sentiments that the price of tomatoes was likely to go up and warned Batswana to brace themselves for the situation.

He disclosed that the Shashe Cluster had 178 registered fruit and vegetable farms and that it would be a huge lost if all had been affected by the frost.ENDS