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.

This year, South Africa's agricultural sector's exceptional performance, which is reflected in robust production volumes for the 2021 season and export volumes in the first three quarters of this year, is also evident in the jobs data.

After a slight retreat to 67 in the third quarter, the Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) recovered to 74 points in the final quarter of this year.

The higher input costs, which have been the dominant feature of South Africa's agricultural sector over the past year, will likely prevail in the coming months, with negative effects on farmers' financial conditions.

Agbiz lauds the pragmatic approach of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2022 SONA and is ready to partner for inclusive growth and job creation.

 A central theme in President Ramaphosa's 2022 State of the Nation Address (SONA) was the government’s work in improving the efficiency of physical and regulatory infrastructure aimed at unlocking private sector-led economic growth.

The need to improve logistics efficiency and curb the deterioration of infrastructure remains a topical issue in South Africa's agriculture.

The debate regarding compensation for land taken for land reform purposes has been raging ever since the CODESA negotiations and the initial formulation of section 25 of the Constitution.

Observers of global grain markets will be familiar with the 1972 "Great Grain Robbery" by the former Soviet Union.

Following a period of heightened optimism supported by favourable agricultural production conditions, the Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) moderated by 12 points to 62 in Q1 2022 after reaching its second-highest level on record in Q4 2021.

One of the South African agriculture sector's long-term objectives, which should not be neglected amid the current geopolitical strife, is the need for government and industry to widen and deepen export markets.

This afternoon, we received further confirmation that South Africa's summer crop is not as bad as some might have feared at the start of the 2021/22 production season when heavy rains threatened the yields.

The recently concluded South Africa Investment Conference showcased a range of investment opportunities in our economy and brought back some optimism for economic prospects in a global environment focused on the Ukraine war, high inflation and rising interest rates.

South Africa’s winter crop farmers face a challenging start to the 2026-27 production season.

Background The Expropriation Bill is now at a very critical stage in its enactment.

South Africa's agricultural machinery market remained robust in the first four months of 2022.

The world has been in a period of surging food prices for several reasons.

 Periods of uncertainty tend to lead to countries taking drastic self-interested policy measures.

 This is a busy week in South Africa's agricultural calendar with many stakeholders attending NAMPO, the first time in two years that the event is hosted in-person.

There is an increased appreciation within South Africa’s policy discourse of agriculture and agribusiness' contribution to economic growth, job creation, and the potential for further expansion.