With the El Niño event that is likely to see temperatures reach ever greater heights, scientists and experts are cautioning that the agricultural sector and its workers need to prepare for what may be successive sweltering summers.

In a grim reminder of the growing threat of climate change, a tragic scenario unfolded in the sun-scorched landscapes of the Northern Cape earlier this year when several farmworkers died in extreme heat.

This tragedy highlighted the escalating risks faced by labourers in the agricultural sector as the planet continues to warm.

Now, with the El Niño event that is likely to see temperatures reach even greater heights, scientists and experts are cautioning that the agricultural sector and its workers need to prepare for what may be successive sweltering summers.

News24 reported in January that seven farmworkers died of heatstroke in the Kakamas area in the Northern Cape. Temperatures in the region were forecast to reach well beyond 40°C.

In an interview in July, farmworkers shared their experiences with Daily Maverick.

'It's too hot, you see'

Moses Kallson, a worker on an orange farm in the area, said he remembered the deaths of the seven workers and that it had made news in the community.

He said his employers had taken steps at the time to ensure that he and his co-workers could manage the extreme temperatures.

Alternating between English and Afrikaans, he explained that when it's summer and...