Government should take up the private sector's offers to assist with FMD control

In my previous column (see FW, 26 August 2022) I discussed how the agriculture sector has already seen a number of positive gains this year, despite numerous challenges.

- Hamlet Hlomendlini

While this remains true, some of these problems have intensified since then, and several more have emerged. What makes things more complicated for the sector is that all of these challenges are now being encountered at the same time.

Biosecurity issues, particularly foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), continue to bring risk and uncertainty to the red meat market.

Government's decision to suspend the implementation of definitive antidumping duties on poultry products from Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Poland and Spain for a year has sparked concerns in South Africa's poultry industry about market distortions.

The citrus industry's supply challenges continue, owing primarily to the EU's sudden implementation of non-tariff measures in an attempt to reduce imports from South Africa.

Botswana and Namibia recently decided to take unilateral action to prevent certain South African vegetable commodities from crossing their borders, citing the need to protect their own production as justification for the ban.

BILLIONS OF RANDS LOST

All of the above have dire consequences for the South African agriculture sector. For example, the EU's decision threatens the entire citrus industry, which employs over 140 000 people and generates about R30 billion in export revenue.