South Africa imports all its rice and half its wheat so the exchange rate is a factor to watch
It’s not a straightforward answer, but Julius Malema should have been able to at least estimate
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
The expected wheat crop is above the 10-year average harvest but estimates for barley and oats are lower than the Crop Estimates Committee forecasts
The non-renewal of the Black Sea Grain Deal and India’s rice ban continue to weigh heavily on production
Refining wheat, maize and rice removes their nutritional value, which contributes to preventable diseases such as strokes, diabetes and obesity
Since the Ukraine war sent global cereal prices soaring, import-dependent Tunisia has announced a push to grow all its own durum wheat, the basis for local staples like couscous and pasta.
The outlook on food products prices will remain mixed, despite the recent broad increase in products prices.
Africa imported $4-billion worth of agricultural products from Russia in 2020. Of the total, 90% was wheat and 6% sunflower oil
Miners of rare metals will score but the soaring oil price will result in various cost-of-living increases
The weather remains topical across the Southern Hemisphere but has resulted in mixed fortunes
Supply constraints in fertiliser-producing countries, coupled with rising shipping, oil and gas costs has pushed up the price of imported commodities such as fertiliser, herbicide and insecticide prices
The World Food Programme said in February that a staggering 12.4 million people in Syria were food insecure
Millers claim red tape is keeping import cost savings from being passed on to consumers
Low fees are attracting investors to a range of listed exchange-traded products
Sorghum, which is in the same family as millet, is the world’s fifth-most important cereal crop
In calculating the risk involved in crop planting, farmers need a predictable trade policy that will be implemented.
Bread prices are not necessarily linked to increases in the payments to wheat farmers and wheat import tariffs.
Escalting tensions in Ukraine are causing cereal supply disruptions to South Africa and pushing up food prices.
As the rand has weakened, imports of wheat have become more expensive and prices in the US have risen.
Maize futures has fallen to a one-month low as the strengthening of the rand made imports more affordable.
Signs of a potentially improved global wheat supply see local prices drop.
According to a scientific study, Africa is capable of satisfying its wheat demand, relying less on imports, if it increased production of the crop.