WANDILE SIHLOBO: Rising input costs spell the end of the party for farmers
Feed prices for livestock and poultry rise, as fuel, fertiliser and agrochemical outlays in field crops and horticulture escalate
The dominant message about SA’s agriculture in the past few months has been of a thriving sector, having grown by 13.4% year on year in 2020 and expected to grow a further 7.6% in 2021. The large harvests of 2020 improved farmers’ finances and allowed some to replace old machinery. Tractor and combine harvester sales expanded by double digits in many months after mid-2020.
Yet, this is not a complete picture of the financial conditions in this sector. Rising input costs — higher feed prices for livestock and poultry and higher fuel, fertiliser and agrochemical costs for those in field crops and horticulture — are worth highlighting...
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