Four weeks since the war in the Middle East broke out, it remains unclear how long the conflict will continue, how bad the damage to infrastructure will be and how long it will take to undertake repairs in the affected countries.

After weeks of dryness which caused delays in crop planting, most regions of South Africa have finally received a reprieve as rains continue over summer rainfall areas of the country.

The third quarter 2019 GDP data released by Statistics South Africa this week illuminated what many in South Africa’s farming towns and villages have been experiencing throughout the year, which is that the farming economy is in recession.

On 27 March 2020, Moody's downgraded South Africa’s sovereign credit rating to sub-investment grade and placed a negative outlook on the rating.

Industrial policy is in fashion in Africa. The path out of poverty, goes this new thinking, lies through high-value manufacturing, specialisation and industrialisation.

Our recent analysis of South Africa's agricultural production for the 2019/20 and 2020/21 production seasons has largely carried a positive tone.

 A central theme in President Ramaphosa's 2022 State of the Nation Address (SONA) was the government’s work in improving the efficiency of physical and regulatory infrastructure aimed at unlocking private sector-led economic growth.

The need to improve logistics efficiency and curb the deterioration of infrastructure remains a topical issue in South Africa's agriculture.

One of the South African agriculture sector's long-term objectives, which should not be neglected amid the current geopolitical strife, is the need for government and industry to widen and deepen export markets.

This afternoon, we received further confirmation that South Africa's summer crop is not as bad as some might have feared at the start of the 2021/22 production season when heavy rains threatened the yields.

The EU is among regions that have, for some time, resisted importing and cultivating genetically engineered (GE) crops. But this changed on July 1, when the European Commission approved the importation of GE maize for human and animal consumption. This follows a similar approach with soybeans.

We are emerging from a policy-heavy weekend, where the governing ANC gathered to discuss policy ideas ahead of its December elective conference. A range of economic matters were discussed at the conference that we will learn more about in the coming days.

As the deepening energy crisis continues to present problems for different parts of the agricultural sector, another major challenge that could confront South Africa's agricultural sector in a few months is a change in weather conditions from favourable rains to drier and hot conditions.

In 2023 SA assumed the role of chair of the Brics bloc of countries, taking over from China, which chaired it last year.

  Despite various headwinds throughout the year, South Africa's agriculture exports for 2022 did not decline as much as some feared.

There appears to have been a change in sentiment about genetically  modified (GMO) crops in the EU.

 The Competition Commission's recent report on agriculture and food markets dominated the conversations in the industry groupings last week.

The Crop Estimates Committee's data reaffirmed our optimism about South Africa's 2022/23 summer grains and oilseeds production season.

South Africa's consumer food inflation slowed in June 2023, recorded at 11,1% from 12,0% in the previous month.

Folks, South Africa’s agricultural interests in the BRICS markets are not at the expense of the existing and vital export markets in the African continent, EU, Asia, Americas, Middle-East and others.