by Wandile Sihlobo | Feb 16, 2021 | Agricultural Trade
South Africa’s agricultural exports amounted to US$10,2 billion in 2020, which is a 3% increase from the previous year. This is the second-largest level after the record exports of US$10,7 billion in 2018. The top ten exportable products by value were citrus, grapes, wine, apples and pears, maize, nuts, sugar, wool and fruit juices.
by Wandile Sihlobo | Feb 15, 2021 | Land Reform
The agricultural message within the State of the Nation Address was a mixed bag; an acknowledgement of the farming potential to create jobs and foster growth, yet a hazy view on land policy and support programmes for land reform beneficiaries. There may also be an over-reliance on the master plans; time will tell if it will genuinely deliver on its promise.
by Wandile Sihlobo | Feb 12, 2021 | Food Security
The current increases in agricultural commodity prices is a global issue, but an expected sizable South Africa’s maize harvest could help ease price pressures in the coming months.
by Wandile Sihlobo | Feb 11, 2021 | Agricultural Production
We discussed South Africa’s agricultural conditions following the recent rains and shared views on food price inflation path for 2021.
by Wandile Sihlobo | Feb 11, 2021 | Agricultural Production
South Africa’s soybean production gains, at least in the near term, won’t translate into lower price changes for buyers such as poultry producers. Ultimately, the poultry producers’ input costs will remain elevated despite the increase in domestic soybean production.
by Wandile Sihlobo | Feb 2, 2021 | Agricultural Production
South Africa’s agricultural production outlook remains buoyant, thanks to increased plantings and favourable weather conditions. What will be crucial this coming week and the week after that is sunshine, over the country’s summer crop-growing regions. Additional rainfall at this point would most likely cause waterlogging which, in turn, would undermine the yields.
by Wandile Sihlobo | Feb 1, 2021 | Africa Focus
Zimbabwe has not had a good maize production season since 2018/19. Since then, the country has had to import nearly a million tonnes of maize each marketing year to meet its domestic annual requirements. The 2020/21 production season started on a sound footing for...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Jan 28, 2021 | Agricultural Production
Cyclone Eloise has already caused devastation in Mozambique’s Sofala province and other regions. At the time of writing, the cyclone threatened to cause heavy floods in southern Zimbabwe, the northeastern parts of SA, Eswatini, Malawi and far eastern Botswana.
by Wandile Sihlobo | Jan 26, 2021 | Land Reform
Wandile Sihlobo, Johann Kirsten and Sifiso Ntombela[i] From the Reconstruction and Development Programme of President Mandela to the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of President Mbeki, the National Development Plan of President Zuma and recently the...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Jan 20, 2021 | Food Security
The higher grain prices and a decline in cattle slaughtering activity over the past few months have started to transmit into the prices of products consumers pay when doing their groceries. In the fourth quarter of 2020, South Africa’s food price inflation was...