I will use this last column for the year to reflect on an eventful yet positive 2020 for SA’s agriculture and provide a brief outlook for 2021.

At the start of the year I highlighted two threats that were imminent at that time in the agricultural sector, namely drought and bio-insecurity (specifically foot-and-mouth disease). At that time it looked as though 2020 would not be much different from 2019, a challenging year in which the sector’s gross value added contracted by almost 7% due to climatic challenges. ..