South Africa’s food inflation rose to 4.4% in May but this is expected to be temporary
This is despite a slight decline, attributed to an uncertain global trade environment, geopolitical tension and domestic animal disease problems
This forecast is based indications of good harvests in key producing countries such as the European Union, Russia, Canada, Argentina, the United Kingdom and India
The outbreak of animal disease is a concern but there’s good news from the field crops, horticulture and poultry sectors
There is a yawing gap between countries acknowledging the risks and them implementing actions that that are effective
Frequent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, avian influenza and African swine fever suggest weakness in biosecurity controls and the effect of climate change
The recovery of crops bodes well for consumers as prices should come down
It appears that the Tanzanian minister of agriculture has overreacted to the rumoured South African ban on imports.
It advocates for SMMEs owned by women, addresses problems women have with financing and targets sectors such as agriculture, where women labourers are concentrated
Given China’s efforts to diversify its agricultural suppliers, South Africa must strengthen agricultural trade between the two countries.
Forging ties with other markets as they navigate trade wars with the US is a wise strategy.
We do need to focus on the tariffs but we should not ignore other essential interventions for the long-term growth of local agriculture
Out of poverty people have turned to illegal mining, destroying not only the forests but also farmlands and waterways
This could be good for consumers as prices drop.
For an agricultural sector that depends on international markets, short-term protectionist measures offer little benefit and erode long-term competitiveness
Better operating conditions and relatively lower interest rates are essentially the supporting factors for machinery sales
The president is taking a transactional approach to resolving a diplomatic tempest
China accounts for 11% of all global agricultural imports but South Africa made up only 0.4% of Chinese imports in 2023
The agriculture sector was up 17.2% and was the largest contributor to GDP growth during the period
Estimates for maize and oilseeds are up, boosting predictions of a recovery year in agriculture
While the recent rains caused damage to infrastructure and in communities, it does more good than bad in agriculture
If the ANC is unwilling to respect the formal safeguards of the Constitution, why would it respect the supposed formal safeguards of the Act?
The aspect of opening new export markets is vital in the current environment of heightened trade friction
The Chinese agricultural market is enormous, with more than $200 billion in imports annually.
The shortage is temporary, brought on mainly by increased exports as a result of good prices
Such efforts must not leave the former homelands region behind, as has been the case in the first three decades of democracy
The unrest in Mozambique plus restrictions on trade need to be resolved for South Africa and other countries in the region to boost agricultural production
Better dam levels and a stable electricity supply for irrigation will continue to benefit the horticulture sub-sector and floriculture
Livestock disease such as foot-and-mouth has been brought under control in most provinces through strengthened farm biosecurity controls and surveillance
A report by the US agriculture department raised this possibility, but South Africa’s maize harvest is well above the annual needs
Improvements in the livestock and horticulture sectors may have boosted job prospects in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, North West, Gauteng and Limpopo
The government and private sector’s efforts in boosting agriculture in various regions of South Africa must be matched with the same drive to expand export market