by Wandile Sihlobo | Feb 22, 2021 | Agricultural Environment and Natural Resource
The Central Energy Fund’s preliminary estimates suggest that South Africa’s petrol (95 ULP inland) and diesel (0.05% wholesale inland) prices could increase by 57 cents per litre (c/l) and 48 (c/l), respectively, on 03 March 2021. This adjustment means the retail price of petrol could rise to R16,24 per litre from the current level of R15,67 per litre. Simultaneously, the wholesale diesel price could increase to R14,06 per litre from R13,58 per litre in February 2021.
by Wandile Sihlobo | Dec 29, 2020 | Agricultural Environment and Natural Resource
The drive I take each December from Pretoria to the Eastern Cape is a constant reminder, not only of the agricultural economic potential of the Eastern Cape, but also the poverty and unemployment that plague the province. Agriculture holds potential to change the fortunes of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo and other rural regions.
by Wandile Sihlobo | Dec 1, 2020 | Agricultural Environment and Natural Resource
Following a notable recovery to 51 points in the third quarter of 2020, the Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) rallied in the fourth quarter to 61, which is its highest level since the third quarter of 2014. A level above the neutral 50-point mark implies that agribusinesses are optimistic about business conditions in South Africa.
by Wandile Sihlobo | Oct 31, 2019 | Agricultural Environment and Natural Resource
I spent my day in Free State where I participated in the South African Stud Book and Animal Improvement Association AGM. My presentation reflected broader themes of South Africa’s agricultural economy – production trends, trade, and policy. But the discussion that...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Aug 1, 2019 | Agricultural Environment and Natural Resource
While memories of Day Zero warnings in late 2017 and early 2018 might be fading in Cape Town residents’ minds, the effects of the water shortages are still felt in some farming communities — and agricultural production has not fully recovered from the damage of the...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Jul 11, 2019 | Agricultural Environment and Natural Resource
Erratic weather conditions and more frequent droughts and floods are exacerbating uncertainty in the agricultural sector. While these have largely been a phenomenon of sub-Saharan Africa and Asian countries, the Americas are also starting to experience these harsh...
