Black frost hit crops in South Africa’s northernmost Limpopo province, with a key farmers’ organisation warning of looming food shortages in the region.

Potato, tomato and many other vegetables experienced damage after black frost affected the province on Sunday morning, TLU SA said in a statement. Farmers also reported damage to infrastructure such as water pipes.

“Feedback from members and other farmers indicates that tremendous losses have been suffered and that food shortages can be experienced from the province,” TLU SA North chair Henk van de Graaf said.

Growers in the Soutpansberg mountain region, Levubu, Marble Hall, Arabie and Bela-Bela reported severe black frost, TLU SA said, adding that it’s collating more data on the number of hectares affected and estimates of financial losses to submit to the government.

South Africa is in peak winter season and is experiencing a cold snap that’s resulted in snow in the south and west, freezing conditions over the rest of the country, high seas and damaging winds along its shoreline, the weather service said in a warning.

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