The impact of the El Niño-induced drought on farming conditions is vast, and some provinces' patches of better crop conditions and grazing veld conditions have also deteriorated in some regions.
This is according to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (Dalrrd) Thoko Didiza who met organised agriculture leaders, provincial MECs for Agriculture, agribusinesses and the Banking Association of SA (Basa) to assess the extent of the crop damage from the El Niño-induced drought and farming conditions.
Yesterday, the department said the meeting resolved that organised agriculture groups and provincial government will continuously monitor the impact of the drought on the country's various regions and consistently communicate with the national department.
It also said that it would engage financial services organisations to assess their preparedness to assist the most affected farmers.
“The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development reaffirmed that there would be no policy interventions, such as export restrictions, over the foreseeable future,” it said.
“With the available information, the department and agricultural leaders can ascertain that the food supplies in South Africa remain at comfortable levels. The drought's impact is primarily strong on grains and oilseeds.
“Still, the overall expected harvest of summer grains and oilseeds of 15.9 million tons (updated from the previous statement) coupled with reserves should be able to meet the domestic needs, albeit down 21% from the 2022/23 season.”
On Monday, Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz), said the South African agricultural sector was not in good shape because of the persistent heatwave and dryness associated with the El Niño cycle.
“Also worth noting is that while other input cost prices, such as fertiliser and agrochemicals, softened since 2023, the prices are still generally well above the pre-Covid levels, thus adding pressure on farmers' finances,” Sihlobo said.
“Furthermore, the poor summer crop harvest of the 2023/24 production season will also be a constraining factor in the months ahead, as farmers' finances will be under pressure.”
Last week, the Agri SA Centre of Excellence for Economics said that while South Africa has experienced extreme drought conditions significantly impacting the agricultural sector and raising concerns about food prices and availability, the local industry still boasted notable strengths and strategies that helped to maintain stability and resilience in difficult times.
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