GAMTOOS VALLEY – A farm near Loerie on Gamtoos Melon Road has been severely impacted by successive bouts of heavy rainfall in May and June, leaving extensive agricultural losses and ongoing recovery challenges.

The farm produces a wide variety of vegetables, including lettuce, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli and sweet potatoes.

However, the operation was heavily affected by rain in both early May and June, with the May flood described as significantly worse.

Mariëtte de Koning, who co-owns the farm with her husband, Leon, said access to the farm was restricted for weeks following the initial disaster.

She said that following the flood in May, they were unable to reach the land for three weeks and were only able to access the farmland one week before the second heavy rainfall, which began on 3 June.

“Our farm was severely affected by the recent floods, which is why we do not have many vegetables available at the moment,” said De Koning.

“The impact of the flood has been very emotional for me and my family; however, we are still very thankful.”

Adding to the difficult experience, De Koning said that all their vegetables on low-lying ground had been washed away, with only a small number of vegetables on higher ground surviving.

She said that the farm had planted potatoes just a week before the May flood, which were also lost.

Despite the devastation, De Koning said there has been support within her workforce.

“We are still responsible for our employees, and we have not been able to take care of them the way we want to, which has been very difficult. However, they have all been very understanding of the situation, and we are thankful for that,” said De Koning.

In an effort to generate income, the farm has reopened its on-site restaurant, Spekboomlapa, which had originally opened 16 years ago before closing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

De Koning said that the restaurant is now being used to support recovery efforts and employee costs.

She further said that for now, the restaurant is open to the public only on Sundays, while hosting functions on Saturdays and during the week.

“We had to quickly come up with a plan to generate an income, and fortunately have the restaurant on our farm, which had not been in use for the past few years. We were able to get everything in order quickly and get it up and running again,” said De Koning.

“We are grateful to everyone who has supported us in one way or another during this difficult time.”

De Koning said that the financial impact has been substantial, with additional costs linked to recovery and repairs, including diesel for machinery and generators, equipment replacement and land rehabilitation.

She said that the estimated direct damage is around R15 million, excluding repair costs, with full losses still difficult to determine.

“We have lost all our pivot irrigation systems. Everything needs to be repurchased and replaced,” said De Koning.

She said that insurance limitations have also added to the burden, as seasonal vegetable planting cannot easily be covered.

Thus far, she said that no financial assistance has been received from government entities or farming associations, though local community support has been appreciated.

De Koning said the soil itself has been severely affected and requires extensive restoration before planting can resume.

Although the surface may appear dry, she warned that conditions remain unstable beneath.

“While the land looks dry, there is still a lot of water underneath that needs to dry naturally before we can begin with repair works,” said De Koning.

“The sand that washed in during the flood is also killing the soil. Everything needs to be removed.”

De Koning described the conditions on the land as dangerous and unstable, with deep, waterlogged sand that is like quicksand.

She further said that they hope to resume planting and production by December, which is typically their busiest season.

“It will take months before we can use these fields again. It first needs to dry out properly, and then the sand and irrigation channels will need to be repaired before we can plant,” said De Koning.

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