WANDILE SIHLOBO: Surge in infections poses little threat to highly mechanised planting season
So far the agricultural sector has successfully harvested summer crops with minimal interruption
The SA agricultural sector has thus far successfully harvested summer crops with minimal interruption from the pandemic. However, farmers and agribusinesses had to adjust their usual work processes to comply with health regulations and limit the spread of the virus.
In October the focus will shift to planting activity of 2020/2021 summer grains, oilseeds and various horticulture products. This will happen while the Covid-19 infection numbers are close to their peak, with the Western Cape, Gauteng, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal the hotspots. These provinces also account for 60% of SA’s agricultural output, which raises questions about whether the surge in infections could affect the planting season negatively. I doubt this will be the case...
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