Commercial farmers say proposed regulations to introduce compulsory black shareholding requirements for new water licences could devastate the sector. But an association representing emerging farmers said such a move would help to level the playing field.

Potential policies that bring uncertainty to food production have added to the woes of the farming sector. Stats SA’s GDP data for the first quarter of 2023 shows that the agriculture and food production sectors contracted 12.3% — the worst quarterly contraction since 2021. ..

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.