Farmer’s Weekly editor Janine Ryan said this is because the lack of maintenance of these structures has been responsible for runaway fires that have caused significant damage to farms.

LEES OOK: Voorsorg vir 2023-brandseisoen noodsaaklik

A grain and livestock farmer in Mpumalanga Janneman Roberts said there had been two incidents in the past two years in which faulty lines had created sparks that set his veld alight, destroying 150 hectares of maize just before harvesting.

Roberts added that transformers from Eskom poles would just fall to the ground after not being properly secured overtime. Even worse, farm workers had been electrocuted by these faulty lines.

ALSO READ: Namibia rhino poaching surged 93% in 2022 

The Namibia Agriculture Union (NAU) has welcomed the Meat Board of Namibia’s purchase of approximately R900 000 worth of energisers and other accessories to protect the Namibia/Botswana border fence against elephant encroachment.

However, Piet Gouws, NAU president, says the Botswana fence would mainly have an effect on human/elephant conflict in the western part of the country, while the problems that farmers experience with at least 200 elephants on commercial farms in north-eastern parts of the country, were a far greater concern.

Gouws explained that the threat from Botswana’s side consisted mainly of single bulls breaking through. These animals were usually declared as problem animals and exterminated.

OFM News