Happy new year folks,

South Africa's agriculture will likely have a downbeat start into 2023. The gross agricultural value added for 2022, which will be released in March, will probably show a mild contraction. This would be a notable shift from two consecutive years of solid growth, with the sector expanding by 14,9% y/y in 2020 and 8,8% y/y in 2021.
Mild declines in critical crop harvests such as maize, production challenges in the sugar industry, trade friction in fruits, vegetables, beef and wool, and widespread foot-and-mouth disease weighed on the sector's performance this year. In a slightly more technical sense, the strong growth in the last two years has created an exceptionally high base, setting the ground for some pullback.
This year some of the challenges that dominated the agricultural calendar will again surface. In this first segment for the year, I reflect on are some challenges that I believe will be part of discussions, especially in the first half of this year.
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Production by Lwandiso Gwarubana, Richard Humphries, and Sam Mkokeli Wandile Sihlobo website

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