At the dawn of democracy, few probably thought that nearly three decades on South Africa would still be battling with the phenomenon of ‘two agricultural systems”.

The SA Reserve Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) raised rates by 25 basis points to 3.75% on Thursday in a closely watched move that kept markets players guessing in the run up to the announcement. 

The need to expand South Africa's agricultural export markets beyond the current reach, along with concerns about logistical interruptions, were the two major running themes in various interactions we had with agribusinesses last month.

At the start of every agricultural production season, one of the major concerns for farmers is weather conditions over the course of the season and how these will affect yield.

 Most of the national government's agricultural policies and programmes depend on implementation by the provincial governments and municipalities for their success.

The European Union (EU) is the second most important market for South Africa's agricultural products, accounting for 27% of the country's total agricultural exports.