WANDILE SIHLOBO: Insights guiding our thinking about SA agricultural growth prospects in 2023
Solutions to load-shedding are crucial to SA’s agricultural outlook
Over the coming months we will receive various data releases to help guide our thinking on SA’s agricultural growth prospects in 2023. The available soft insights suggest that the near-term growth prospects of SA’s agricultural economy look weak after subdued growth of just 0.3% year-on-year in 2022.
For example, the livestock and poultry industries, which account for roughly half of the agricultural sector’s value, are under pressure amid relatively muted cattle and beef prices, while farmers also continue to face higher input costs for maize and soybeans. The ongoing load-shedding is particularly challenging for the poultry industry, with the unreliable electricity supply causing significant production interruptions...
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