Farmers across the western half of the Eastern Cape are facing an acute feed crisis following devastating fires and prolonged drought, with grazing destroyed and livestock placed at immediate risk. The need for rapid, coordinated feed support is urgent, and delays will translate directly into further losses and long-term damage to food security.
In the Kouga and KouKamma regions, wildfires have torn through tens of thousands of hectares of farmland, with more than 15 000 hectares in KouKamma alone, destroying natural grazing, fencing, farmhouses, and agricultural structures. In some cases, entire farms have been burnt to the ground, leaving farmers to rebuild while simultaneously trying to keep their livestock alive with limited resources and no remaining pasture.
For many, livestock is not only a livelihood but a generational asset, and once lost, recovery can take years, if it is possible at all.
The Democratic Alliance recognises the extraordinary response from civil society, farmers, private businesses, and logistics companies who have mobilised feed donations and transport within days. This intervention has been critical in stabilising the situation in affected areas and preventing further harm.
However, the speed and scale of this civic response also expose a serious gap. Agricultural support structures have failed to respond with the urgency required in a disaster of this nature. Farmers cannot be expected to rely on goodwill alone when predictable risks such as drought and fire materialise.
I have written to the Eastern Cape MEC for Agriculture, Nonceba Kontsiwe, requesting immediate feed assistance for affected farmers, faster disaster response mechanisms, and clearer coordination during agricultural emergencies. Provincial support must be proactive, not reactive.
Farmers need certainty, timely intervention, and a government that understands the realities on the ground. The people of the Eastern Cape deserve leadership that safeguards food security, supports rural livelihoods, and responds decisively when crisis strikes.