South Africa needed to increase its number of commercial farmers and production – this as the continent suffered a shortage of about 30 million tons of grain in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The sentiment was posed by industry role-players, following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s statement that both Russia and Ukraine were major suppliers of grains and producers of fertiliser destined for African markets.
“According to the African Development Bank, the conflict has ‘triggered a shortage of about 30 million tonnes of grains on the African continent, along with a sharp increase in cost’.
“As a result of this conflict African countries are negatively affected by the rising costs of food and energy,” Ramaphosa said.
The president has just returned from Ukraine and the Russian Federation as part of a delegation from seven African countries on a mission to promote a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Agri SA president Jaco Minnaar said their biggest concern involving imports was around wheat.
“We used to get a lot of wheat from Russia or Ukraine, (the conflict) forces us to get grain from Australia or Argentina.
“Others as well, sometimes from Germany or Canada, but Russia and Ukraine made up 30% of our imports.
“Now the quality is different, the impact on prices is a little bit.
“Russia still exports, but less.
“In Ukraine, production is down, with less (product) available, major suppliers are out of business or supplying less, it has an impact on consumer price,” said Minnaar.
He said that maize was not as affected as the logistics were different as major suppliers were used to sourcing from anywhere in the world.
Independent economist Professor Bonke Dumisa said the South African Reserve Bank increased the repo rate because of “imported inflation”.
“That’s the reason we saw the price of wheat going up significantly at the start of the invasion on February 24 last year.
“Everything was blocked. We had to try alternative sources.
“We do have it (grains), the problem is the agriculture sector is always in denial when one mentions it.
“They use exporting to make more money. To them it’s just business. The output of our agricultural sector has not increased, we cannot keep blaming it on drought.
“Why are we not increasing the number of commercial farmers and production? That’s the political thing politicians must address,” he said.
Fight Inequality Alliance SA national co-ordinator, Wafaa Abdurahman, said the impact of the conflict was most felt on staple foods.
“Last week we had a discussion with our Zimbabwean colleagues. They have commodities but nobody can afford to buy them. Hyperinflation directly affects poor communities’ ability to afford stuff and it’s all the basic food prices. Bread in Zimbabwe costs $1 (about R18).
With the war going on it affects us directly and increases everything especially the basics. Maize and wheat are staple foods being affected. We are not supporting Russia or Ukraine, we are supporting the ordinary working class people in those countries affected by this war.
Invasions of any country are never correct. The world is crying about Ukraine, while Palestine has been invaded since 1948. There is a juncture about who gets the most airplay in terms of what’s happening while ordinary people right across the world are affected.
People are starving. I don’t know how somebody who doesn’t have a job survives while wages have only gone up by 3%. How are people able to feed their families?” Abdurahman asked.
Cape Times