eNews
#03 2026
What does El Niño mean to farmers? The SAEON Ndlovu Node engages with livestock owners on Climate, Cattle and Veld Condition
By Tony Swemmer and Joe Sibiya
Are predictions of a severe summer drought accurate? How can rural livestock owners prepare for it?
These critical questions took centre stage at a science workshop in Welverdiend village on 24 July 2026. Held during National Science Month, the event was co-hosted by the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) and SANParks (Kruger National Park). It brought together representatives from livestock farmer associations from across the Manyeleti section of Bushbuckridge (Mpumalanga). As Xitsonga is the home language of most participants, all presentations were translated by SAEON Science Engagement Officer Joe Sibiya, ensuring everyone could engage.
The Climate Threat: El Niño is Coming
Dr Tony Swemmer (SAEON) explained that the global weather system called El Niño is currently developing in the Pacific Ocean. This system alters global weather patterns and makes a severe local drought highly likely over the coming year.
Surprising, out of 30 farmers present, only two had heard of El Niño. This highlights the on-going gap in how vital weather information reaches rural livestock keepers.
Learning from the Past
The workshop looked at historical data to help farmers prepare. Dr Louise Swemmer (SANParks) shared long-term cattle numbers for Welverdiend, showing the impact of the past severe drought (2015 to 2019) as well as some recent, unusual cattle deaths. Dr Tony Swemmer then presented a decade of SAEON vegetation data from the Welverdiend rangelands. discussion on complex interplay between rainfall, veld condition, land use and water provision in these rangelands.
Action Plan: Protecting the Herds
These presentations led to discussion on actions that livestock owners could take to reduce cattle mortality in the next drought.
To wrap up, Dr Emmanuel Mgayi from the Department of Agriculture (Bohlabela District Veterinary Services) highlighted currently active cattle diseases, including the local Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak. He warned that these diseases often worsen during droughts and shared vital remedies and management systems to help farmers protect their livestock.
Dr Louise Swemmer (SANParks) presenting data on cattle numbers for Welverdiend village, while Joe Sibiya (SAEON) translates for the Xitsonga speaking audience.
Dr Emmanual Mgayi (Department of Agriculture) discusses cattle diseases with the participants.
