According to Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber, Agbiz, the harvest is virtually complete across the country, and the yields were above average for most regions. He explains that it is not surprising that the sixth production estimates recently released by the Crop Estimate Committee (CEC), slightly revised down the wheat crop estimate in December 2020 to 2,11 million tonnes. This current estimate is still the largest in a decade. Meanwhile, he says for barley and canola, there was a further upward revision of the production estimates to more than 589 840 tonnes and more than 166 950 tonnes; making these current numbers the largest on record. Sihlobo further adds that the increase in production will have minimal impact on prices, specifically wheat, of which South Africa is a net importer.

Stock theft has a negative impact on the agricultural sector. This is according to Aggrey Mahanjana, group managing director of the National Emergent Red Meat Producers' Organisation, also known as Nerpo. Mahanjana says immediately after the first hard lockdown was enforced by the government in March last year to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, farmers throughout the country recorded a huge escalation of stock theft. He says farmers in the Free State, North West and Eastern Cape, in particular, were plagued by this crime. He explains that there are different factors that fuel stock theft.

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South Africa’s export sector has announced a record-breaking export, with 146 million cartons of fruit exported to foreign shores. The CEO of the Citrus Growers Association, Justin Chadwick, says these figures indicate phenomenal growth within the citrus industry, which remains the second largest exporter of fresh citrus in the world, after Spain. He says this achievement is the result of close collaborations and partnerships within the industry and with government, and is testament to the quality of South African citrus fruit - which is in demand all over the globe. Chadwick says this record-breaking export season follows the gazetting of the new citrus export levy last month, which they believe will enable the citrus industry to grow its global market share even further.

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