It is easy to take for granted the gains we have achieved in South Africa’s agriculture, and for some, not to recognise that the very interventions from many organisations, especially those related to agrochemical use and advancement in breeding, have helped deliver this progress.
Some of the aspects one often sees are calls for restrictions on certain agrochemicals or slow progress in registering new agrochemicals by regulators.
The safety of agrochemical use is vital, and the optimal use while taking care of the environment is also key. This is what the discussion should be about, urging farmers to continue with safety practices and to avoid excessive use of any input.
However, the outright calls for restrictions on some inputs are typically misguided, and some compare our practices with those in Europe or other regions without appreciating that any input use is partly dependent on the environment in which we operate and the diseases or deficiencies we face.
On matters of products, we can’t always apply what happens in different geographies here. The key obsession for us in South Africa should be an embrace of science to improve our agricultural output and productivity, while ensuring safety and optimal use of inputs.
The regulators must also share the same objective: to embrace science and ensure that South Africa remains at the forefront of agricultural progress.
We are where we are today, the leading agricultural exporter in Africa, in part because of scientific advancements and their adoption.
We are a semi-arid country, and we are witnessing an increasing number of disease outbreaks in crops and animals. One way of adapting will be through an embrace of science. We cannot hesitate on such important aspects for our food security and the progress of our rural economy.
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