Message from the CEO, Rienette Colesky
Looking back at 2021 and then at the year ahead, Rienette says, “The thing that is obvious to all of us is that the water situation has not improved from last year, which has put a lot of strain on our water users and farmers in terms of the production of fruit.
“The second thing is still the Covid situation, which placed enormous pressure on the way that we were forced to operate in terms of conducting our business – I refer here, of course to the wider area of business in the valley.
“Lastly, a thing that impacted the Gamtoos Valley enormously was logistics in terms of citrus. It wasn’t a good year in that what we realised in citrus income was quite negative.” She explains: “The situation regarding the harvest was critical. There were not enough containers; the containers in the harbour were not moved to the container ships fast enough. As a result, many of the container ships passed by our harbours. The fruit stayed in refrigeration at the harbours for long periods, which led to old fruit of a reduced quality being transported from us to the importing countries.
“It wasn’t a good year for citrus, and obviously not for pre-packing. There are a good number of our farmers who are still pre-packing for supermarket contracts. They find themselves in a situation where the income from the produce that they deliver hasn’t risen in the past three years, but the costs obviously have.
“Then, with a 15 percent allocation of water, if you look at the dairy farmers, they are at a critical point because how can you grow pastures with 15 percent water? This has had an enormous effect on our dairy farmers in Mondplaas.
“In terms of the Irrigation Board, however, we had a very good year in that we completed a great deal of maintenance during a very hot, dry period. We were pleased with the fact that we achieved more than ever in just two weeks, and that includes our branch canals. That is something we have never had before.”
Rienette also speaks of projects for 2022: “In going forward into this year, obviously the water situation is still a bit of a dampener on our spirits about what the year will hold. We think of the fact that the dams in the rest of the country have filled up, while we still haven’t had any rain, so it’s not a nice feeling being here.
“At this moment we are all wondering what will be allocated on 1 July both for agricultural users and for domestic use. Our dam is currently at 14 per cent. We would love for it to recharge and for there to be more water. For Gamtoos in general though, we will keep on maintaining our water demand management to keep our losses to a minimum. On only 14 per cent that is a massive challenge. But we have done it so far and we will obviously keep it up the way we have been doing.”
She adds, “There are some things that need to be done this year. The one is the Skip siphon or Skip covered canal, which needs to be attended by the Department of water Affairs, there is also maintenance that needs to be done on Line 85, which will need priority attention.”
In terms of areas of particular concern, Rienette indicates, “We are also going to focus on dry land rehabilitation, which is new, as well as the maintenance of the plants on our siphons. That is difficult due to the steep slope of our siphons. We will have to get an expert rope access team in to get it done.”
In closing, a personal message from Rienette:
“We have believed for so long that there will be rain. That is all we can say. We have such a great need for water, and we understand the heaviness of heart that the water users are experiencing currently. They have the great difficulty of balancing water usage on their farms, between alternative water sources and the water from the Kouga dam, which is very little. The challenge is one of keeping to a 15 per cent allocation – it is the challenge of surviving.
“I believe it will change. When, we don’t know, but it will. I believe it will!’
Boodskap van die hoof uitvoerende beampte, Rienette Colesky
In haar 2021 terugblik, en dan ook in haar vooruitskouiing vir die jaar wat voorlê, het Rienette die volgende om te deel.
“Dit is vir ons almal voor die hand liggend dat die water situasie nie verbeter het in vergelyking met die vorige jaar nie. Dit het aansienlike druk op ons waterverbruikers geplaas, asook op ons boere in terme van vrugteproduksie.
“Die tweede aspek was die Covid-19 situasie, wat geweldige druk geplaas het op die manier waarop ons ons besigheid bedryf – en dit geld vir die hele vallei.
“Laastens het die logistiek rondom sitrus die Gamtoos-vallei geweldig geaffekteer. Dit was nie ‘n goeie jaar nie in die sin dat die sitrusinkomste taamlik negatief was.”
Rienette verduidelik: “Wat die oes betref het, was die situasie krities. Daar was nie genoeg verskepingshouers nie en die houers in die hawe het nie vinnig genoeg na die vragskepe beweeg nie. As gevolg hiervan het baie van die vragskepe ons hawens omseil. Die vrugte het langer onder verkoeling in die hawens gebly en dit het daartoe gelei dat ouer vrugte met ‘n laer kwaliteit na ander lande uitgevoer is.
“Dit was duidelik nie ‘n goeie jaar vir die sitrusbedryf nie en ook vir voorverpakking nie. ‘n Goeie aantal van ons boere doen steeds voorverpakking vir supermarkkontrakte. Hulle bevind hulself in ‘n situasie waar die inkomste vanuit hul vrugteproduksie in drie jaar onveranderd gebly het, terwyl die koste wel gestyg het.
“Dan, wat die 15-persent toekenning van water betref, as jy kyk na die suiwelboere is hulle by ‘n kritiese punt, want hoe kan jy weiding verbou met ‘n 15-persent watertoekenning? Dit het ‘n reuse-effek op ons suiwelboere in die Mondplaas-area gehad.
“In terme van die besproeiingsraad het ons egter ‘n goeie jaar beleef in die sin dat ons heelwat onderhoud tydens ‘n baie warm en droë tydperk kon aanpak. Ons was tevrede daarmee dat ons meer as ooit tevore kon vermag binne die twee weke, en dit sluit ook ons takkanale in – iets wat ons nog nooit voorheen bereik het nie.”
Rienette het die volgende te sê wat 2022 betref: “Die watersituasie sal vanjaar sekerlik weer die gemoed demp. Ons is bewus daarvan dat baie van SA se damme vol is, terwyl ons hier steeds geen noemenswaardige reën ontvang het nie. Dis nie ‘n goeie gevoel nie.
“Tans wonder ons almal wat die watertoekenning op 1 Julie sal wees vir beide landbou- en huishoudelike verbruikers. Ons damvlak staan tans op 14% en ons grootste wens is om dit weer vol te sien. Vir die Gamtoos oor die algemeen, sal ons ons aanvraagbestuur volhou om waterverliese tot ‘n minimum te beperk. Met ‘n vlak van slegs 14 persent is dit ‘n reuse-uitdaging, maar ons het dit tot dusver gedoen en sal dit volhou.”
Rienette noem ook dat daar ‘n paar take voorlê. “Daar is heelwat wat vanjaar aangepak moet word, byvoorbeeld die Skip duikpyp, waarna die departement van waterwese sal omsien. Lyn 85 benodig ook prioriteit onderhoud.”
Wat areas van kommer betref, dui Rienette die volgende aan: “Ons gaan fokus op droëland-rehabilitasie, wat nuut is, sowel as die instandhouding van plante in ons sifone. Dis nie ‘n maklike taak weens die steil helling van ons sifone nie en ons sal ‘n kundige span met toue moet inkry.”
Rienette sluit af met hierdie persoonlike boodskap:
“Ons het vir so lank geglo dat die reën sou kom. Ons behoefte vir water is groot en ons het simpatie met die waterverbruikers se huidige swaar gemoed. Hulle het die moeilike taak om waterverbruik op hul plase te balanseer tussen alternatiewe waterbronne en dit wat beskikbaar is vanuit die Kouga-dam, wat regtig baie min is. Dis ‘n uitdaging om te hou by die 15% toekenning en dit is ‘n uitdaging van oorlewing.
“Ons glo vas dat die situasie sal verbeter. Ons weet nie wanneer nie, maar slegs dat dit sál!