Following devastating storms that battered the Western Cape between 10 and 12 May, leaving the Witzenberg region facing a critical electricity crisis and widespread infrastructure damage, John Steenhuisen, National Minister of Agriculture, visited the Ceres region this week to assess the impact on the apple and pear industry and surrounding communities.
A major concern during the visit was the collapse of between six and ten electricity pylons in the Waaihoek area between Wolseley and Worcester, leaving the region with a severely constrained power supply. Industry leaders warned that the estimated four-week repair timeline poses a serious threat to the fresh fruit industry, which is heavily reliant on electricity to maintain fruit quality and continue processing operations.
Pieter Graaff, chairman of Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, and Jacques du Preez, general manager of trade and markets at Hortgro, accompanied Steenhuisen on an aerial site visit to assess the storm damage in the Witzenberg and Breede River Valley regions. Excessive rainfall and strong winds caused widespread destruction to orchards, roads, homes, and critical infrastructure.
Steenhuisen also met with directors from, among others, Ceres Fruit Growers, Dutoit Agri, and De Keur, as well as Witzenberg Municipality Executive Mayor Councillor Trevor Abrahams.
According to Graaff, who represents Ceres Fruit Growers, Ceres Fruit Processors and Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, the scale of the damage will have long-term economic consequences for the region and the broader agricultural sector.
“The storm’s impact has been catastrophic. As rivers swelled, roads, homes and lives were swept away. The damage to infrastructure will take years to repair and cost billions of rand. This disaster has set our province back significantly, but with strong leadership, we will prevail,” he said.
Electricity crisis threatens exports and jobs
“There is more than 300,000 tonnes of freshly harvested export fruit currently in cold storage that require electricity to maintain market quality,” Graaff explained. “There is insufficient generator capacity to keep these cold stores operational, while diesel costs are placing enormous financial pressure on businesses. If the fruit deteriorates, it cannot be packed, which could result in thousands of job losses and major export revenue losses.”
Graaff added that the town is currently receiving electricity from an alternative source, but that it supplies only approximately 15% to 20% of the area’s total demand. “We are expected to wait about a month for the infrastructure to be repaired, which will cost the industry tens of millions of rand,” he said.
He further noted that Ceres Fruit Processors faces mounting pressure, as the facility still needs to process more than 100,000 tonnes of apples and pears into concentrated fruit juice while operating on costly generator power.
Francois Malan, managing director at Ceres Fruit Growers, said virtually every farming operation in the region had suffered some form of damage.
“Everyone in our area has experienced damage to some extent, whether it’s orchards being washed away, infrastructure destroyed, erosion damage, or crop losses. However, restoring electricity to the town and surrounding farms is now critical, as millions of rands are being spent daily on diesel to keep packhouses, farms, and communities functioning. Electricity is currently our biggest crisis,” said Malan.
He noted that Ceres received 488 mm of rain over the three-day period, while parts of the Witzenberg Valley recorded more than 600 mm.
Growers in the Elgin, Grabouw, Villiersdorp, and Vyeboom areas also faced crop losses, said Attie van Zyl, managing director at Two-a-Day.
“We still have some apples on the trees, mostly Sundowners, and approximately one-third of the fruit that remained on the trees was blown off by the wind and will now be diverted for juice. Fortunately, this represents only about 2.5% of our total crop. We are grateful for the rain and for the significant rise in the level of the Theewaterskloof Dam, which increased from approximately 49% to 71.5%,” said Attie van Zyl.
He stressed the urgent need for repairs to damaged infrastructure in the EGVV region, particularly the R43 route between Villiersdorp and Worcester, which is critical for growers in the Villiersdorp area to transport their fruit to market. “Restoring road access as quickly as possible is essential to ensure the continued movement of produce and to limit further economic losses for growers in the region,” he said.
Government pledges support
Du Preez welcomed Steenhuisen’s undertaking to engage with both Western Cape government officials and national counterparts to escalate these issues, identify solutions, and assist the industry.
Steenhuisen, who said he was impressed by the determination and resilience shown by farmers and communities during this difficult period, committed to ensuring they receive the necessary support and relief.
“Help is on the way,” he promised, as he underscored the urgency for the electricity infrastructure to be fully operational as soon as possible.
“Moving forward, it is critical that government remains nimble and adaptable in the face of an increasingly volatile climate, and that all future investment in infrastructure and development is undertaken in a sustainable and resilient manner to protect local economies and the livelihoods they support.”
The fruit industry expressed appreciation for the visit by Minister Steenhuisen, saying direct engagement with government leaders was critical to ensuring urgent intervention and long-term recovery support for one of South Africa’s most important export industries.
For more information, please contact Lucille Botha at lucilleb@tru-cape.co.za or visit www.tru-cape.com. Follow Tru-Cape on X (@TruCapeFruit), Facebook (@Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing), TikTok (@trucape), and Instagram (@trucapefruit).
