Heritage Cases

The company Secundis Beleggings (Pty) Ltd. is proposing to commence with the process of procuring the Remaining Extent of the Farm Reliance No. 347 near the town of Griekwastad in the Northern Cape Province (154 ha). The reason for the intended procurement is for establishing Fifteen (15) seed potato farming pivots on the farm of natural previously uncultivated land. However, due to the time constraint applicable to seed potato planting, the client has a small window at which the planting has to commence and be completed. It was therefore recommended that two separate applications will be submitted as the client cannot only wait for the approval of the scoping and eia reports. It was then recommended that fourteen (14) (135ha) pivots will be applied for using the scoping and eia application process (which run simultaneously with this application) and this application for one (1) 19ha pivot will run the Basic Assessment process. This will allow the client to start with this one pivot while awaiting approval for the scoping and eia reports for the other 14 pivots. These applications are not linked or related. If either one is rejected for some other reason, the other can still proceed. It has to be noted that the seed potato pivot planting/development follow an 8-year rotation cycle. In other words, the pivot will be planted only once every 8 years. After each season, the pivot will be rehabilitated using buffalo grass and will remain dormant/inactive for a period of 7 years, before planting will again commence on the pivot. This cycle will continue. In order to achieve the above, the following is proposed: Layout Alternative 1 (Preferred Alternative) As the client is aiming to also develop other areas on the farm which will run in a separate scoping and eia applications, only one layout alternative exist. The preferred layout alternative includes the development of one (1) seed potato pivots which will constitute a 19ha cultivated pivot land. This pivot will be located towards adjacent to the existing gravel road which was recommended by the ecologist as this area is less dense and less sensitive. Seed potato farming is very labour intensive and numerous job opportunities will be created. Furthermore, seed potato farming has one of the highest value per cubic metre water (R50/m3) in comparison with wheat which is R5/m3). Already established two track farm roads are already in place and will link up most of the pivots. In some cases, where tracks do not exist, some new two track farm road might be established. A new water pipeline will be constructed and put in place to extract water from the already existing and approved / licensed 4 X boreholes. This will be used for the irrigation of all seed potato pivots as described in this report. The project will entail two major aspects namely: • The construction of a pipeline for irrigation form the existing boreholes. • Cultivation of 19 ha seed potato pivots and some two track access roads. Construction of a pipeline for irrigation form the existing boreholes. A new water pipeline will be constructed and put in place to extract water from the already existing and approved / licensed 4 X boreholes. This will be used for the irrigation of all seed potato pivots as described in this report. Extraction Pump: • The following extraction pumps will be erected at each of the already approved and licensed boreholes: 1 x 5.5kW, pump and 3 x 2.2kW pumps which will pump into a new 116 000 litre zinc dam. This borehole was drilled around 1975 and used to irrigate crops since. Water will be pumped by a centrifugal pump from the dam to the centre pivot. • The power for the extraction pumps will be obtained from existing 100 KVA point. • The extraction pumps will run for approximately 12 hours per day, pumping water to the amount of 95 m3 per hour (Monday to Saturday for a 3-month period. Pipelines: • A new 250 mm pipeline of approximately 0.8 km in length joining a 200mm pipeline of approximately 2.8km will be constructed to transport water from the zinc dam to the pivot areas. A narrow section of approximately 900mm will be cleared in order to accommodate the piping infrastructure. A trench of approximately 900 mm wide will be excavated in order to accommodate the subsurface burial of the pipeline. On site Settling Dams: As part of the above-mentioned pipeline and extraction pumps, the following settling dam and pumps will also be constructed on site: • The existing boreholes will feed into an 8m zinc dam (50m2 / 116m3). The co-ordinates of the dam: 28°43'53.75"S; 23°10'23.88"E. The dam level will be kept between 50% and 90% by a level sensor that automatically switches the borehole pumps on/off as required. The overflow of the dam will be directed into a natural existing drainage line. • The dam will also be fitted with a 55 kW pump that will feed into the pipeline towards the centre pivots. Due to the long distance and high hill over which the pipeline will traverse, the pump will only deliver water at a rate of 95 m3/h and will run on average 12 hours per day (1140 m3) and will peak for about 3 weeks at 1900m3 per day. The growing season for early generation seed potatoes is from 10 January to 10 April with peak water requirements in March. • At the dam site there will also be 2 x 5000L JoJo tanks for liquid fertilizer application through the irrigation system. These tanks will be mounted on a concrete foundation with a retainer wall (bund wall) surrounding the tanks to prevent environmental damage in case of spillages. Cultivation of 19 ha Seed potato pivots 19 ha (One (1) pivot circle) will be established on the proposed project footprint. The cultivation and planting process will work as follows: • The area will be cleared with the use of a Bulldozer and deep-ripped with the dozer tines to breakup and aerate the soils. • Surface rocks will be manually removed from the area. • Soil preparation will then be conducted by cultivation with the use of a chisel plough. • Amelioration recommendations will be obtained from a soil scientist through chemical and organic soil analyses in order to ensure the appropriate nutrients/minerals, as required for the pivots, are incorporated into the growth medium (soil) prior to planting. • A pivot irrigation system will be constructed and implemented over the entire proposed pivot area. • Irrigation water will be abstracted from the existing and licensed four (4) boreholes as per the allotted water use license for the farm portion. o See Appendix G for the water use rights documentation indicating the allowable water use. • Planting of seed potatoes will be conducted manually through manual labour.