Impacts of Floods on Livestock Production in Port St Johns, South Africa

The study highlights the effects of floods on livestock production in South Africa, using cross-sectional survey data from 195 purposively selected respondents in Port St Johns Local Municipality. The results indicate that amongst all livestock, small stocks were the most affected by flooding, especially amongst households settled in flood-prone areas. This resulted in reduced agricultural production for sheep, poultry, pig, goat and cattle producers. The flooding affected the availability of meat, with beef, mutton and chicken experiencing reduced availability, whilst the availability of goat and pork meat increased. Flooding also caused mutton to be relatively expensive, whereas the other livestock meat products were relatively cheaper. The availability and the affordability of dairy products decreased. The flooding caused partial damage to agricultural and grazing land, taking between 1 and 2 weeks to restore vegetation after the flooding. It was perceived that environmental degradation was the leading cause of flooding that affected cattle production. Climate change and excessive rainfall were the leading causes of flooding affecting sheep and chickens, respectively. The packaging of the flood warning message was explicit and timeously communicated for sheep producers. The study concludes that flooding affected sheep supply and demand more disproportionally than other livestock species. It recommends the promotion of flood-tolerant vegetation to ease shocks in livestock production. There is also a need to strengthen infrastructure against flooding.