SA is flush with barley and needs to find new export markets for it
The alcohol ban added to SA’s barley bounty, and the government needs to prioritise countries for export, such as China, amid strong competition
The SA barley industry is set to face a demand slump emanating from the coronavirus-induced alcohol ban, when there is a predicted record 2020/2021 farm production harvest. SA could produce about 505,215 tonnes of barley in 2020/2021, up 46% from the previous season. This is a result of increased area plantings and expected higher yields following favourable rainfall in the Western Cape.
Such a harvest means SA will likely be a net exporter of barley. The key export markets for SA’s barley over the past five years were on the African continent, primarily Uganda, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Lesotho and Togo...
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