I started writing for Business Day regularly in 2016. My intention at the time was to ensure that the developments in the SA agricultural economics don’t go unnoticed, especially events with broader implications on food prices, jobs, broader sustainability and growth of the agricultural sector.

Africa has the ability to produce enough food to feed its population and beyond, and develop agribusiness that would offer decent employment to youth. This observation was made by different pan-Africanists, calling for the development of the entire agriculture value chain.

The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to disrupt societies. In South Africa it has caused millions to lose jobs and incomes.

Most countries in both the rich and the developing world have some sort of programme to help early career farmers (mostly, but not exclusively young people) to get established in a farming or agribusiness enterprise.

Fresh efforts are being made to increase the share of black ownership in SA’s agricultural sector. This follows decades of missteps and badly designed interventions that have failed to significantly change the ownership patterns in the sector.