South Africa started the 2023-24 summer crop season with optimism, but the outlook is now lower because of the excessive heat and limited rainfall across major crop-growing regions
After a few years of robust tractor and combine harvest sales, this is more of a normalisation than an indication of trouble in the agriculture sector
Area plantings for maize and sunflower seed are above the five-year average
The favourable rainfall and an expected increase in the planting area bodes well for agriculture
Crop harvests were good in the 2022-23 season but tractor sales are down by 9%
The challenge is to make sure this growth is sustainable, inclusive and transformative
Despite flooding, the 2023-24 wheat crop quality is good and the quantity is up from the previous season, while canola is up 13%. But oats and barley are faring less well because of heavy rains
We are in for another good agricultural season, especially if January and February present favourable rainfall
We can now evaluate the harvest of 2023
There are weaknesses in the country’s biosecurity system, including the measures in place to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases