NEWS ANALYSIS: Agriculture will be the wild card for third quarter
Agricultural sector’s performance will be closely watched for signs of growth boost
As the release of the latest economic-growth figures looms, close attention will be paid to the agricultural sector for whether it boosts the country’s growth once again. The figures for the third quarter show that, when the GDP figures are released in early December, SA looks set to have emerged from the recession. While the quarter’s production figures were lower than anticipated, economists are confident it is enough to see some growth — the wild card, as always, is the agricultural sector. As the country recovers from the drought and faces headwinds from delayed harvests, large contractions in the sector have dragged down growth. Statistician-general Risenga Maluleke said the decrease in agricultural production “was mainly due to a drop in the production of field crops and horticultural products” predominantly in the Western Cape, which contributes 20% to the sector. The latest data from Agbiz shows that in the third quarter the agricultural sector is likely to have contracted a...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.