Wheat Industry Plan Gains Momentum

In 2012, South Africa’s wheat industry launched the Wheat Industry Plan to alleviate the country’s dependence on grain imports. Andries Theron, chairperson of Grain SA’s winter cereals working group, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about progress made with implementing the plan.

- Glenneis Kriel

WHY WAS THE WHEAT INDUSTRY PLAN LAUNCHED?

The Wheat Forum, represented by producers, millers, bakers and researchers, launched the Wheat Industry Plan in 2012 due to concern that South Africa was becoming too dependent on wheat imports and that this could affect food security.

During the 1990s, South Africa produced over three million tons of wheat a year, and in some years this was more than could be used locally. By 2012, due to decreasing profitability, the area under production had shrunk from more than a million hectares to less than 500 000ha. Better-paying alternatives had become available, thanks to the development of genetically modified maize and soya bean.

To meet demand, wheat imports gradually increased as local production decreased, and since about 2012 we’ve been importing more wheat than we’ve produced. Initially, the Wheat Industry Plan was introduced to create a turnaround strategy, but it was later agreed to simply try to halt this trend for now.

HOW DID PROFITABILITY ISSUES AFFECT THE AREA OF PRODUCTION?

The Free State used to be seen as the breadbasket of South Africa. Nowadays, little wheat is produced in the province. Instead, the Western Cape produces roughly 50% of the total harvest and the irrigated areas of the Northern Cape grow about 25%.

HAVE FARMERS ADAPTED?

Many have adopted new technologies such as precision farming to reduce input costs and enhance farming efficiency, and they’ve also introduced conservation farming methods. The latter entail the use of minimum tillage, crop rotation and stubble retention, not only to reduce machine-related fuel costs, but also to alleviate the impact of drought by improving soil water-holding capacity.

WHAT DOES THE WHEAT INDUSTRY PLAN ENTAIL?