by Wandile Sihlobo | Sep 15, 2020 | Daily Notes
Some analysts, myself included, did not anticipate that the 2019/20 harvest and agricultural performance would be as robust as we have witnessed. This is clear from one of the essays I wrote for Business Day on December 10, 2019, which was titled – Another grim...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Jan 28, 2020 | Africa Focus
We rarely talk about Africa’s wheat production due to its size relative to other regions of the world. Africa produces only 3% of the world’s wheat, compared to the European Union region which produces 20% of the world’s wheat and Back Sea region which produces 17%....
by Wandile Sihlobo | Dec 23, 2019 | Agricultural Production
December is always a great month for me to get insight into South Africa’s agricultural conditions in a much more relaxing way when compared to my typical farm visits. Each year I drive from Gauteng to the Eastern Cape, making frequent stops along the way to observe...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Dec 21, 2019 | Agricultural Production
Essay by Wandile Sihlobo and Tinashe Kapuya There are preliminary indications that Southern Africa could face yet another year of poor rains, which will inevitably lead to lower agricultural output. A recent report from the Group on Earth Observations Global...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Nov 4, 2019 | Agricultural Production
Over the past few months, I have written a few essays arguing that we shouldn’t worry much about the current heatwave in South Africa and that rainfall could soon provide some relief. I made this argument, leaning on the South African Weather Services (SAWS) views...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Oct 28, 2019 | Agricultural Production
In a normal season, by this period, farmers would be hard at work planting, especially in the central and eastern regions of South Africa. But this has not been the case because of dryness that has prevented farmers from planting. Soil moisture in South Africa’s...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Sep 22, 2019 | Agricultural Production
Farming is proving to be one of the more challenging vocations in SA because of the ever-changing risk environment. Not only must farmers monitor economic conditions, changing consumer preferences and social dynamics, but the weather is proving to be the most...