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[Sam Fleming] Simply launched the Simply Boer campaign at this year’s Nampo Harvest Day, Africa’s premier agricultural expo... |
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[Paul Makube] Agriculture fell 2.1% in Q2 2024 after strong Q1 growth, contributing to South Africa’s 0.4% GDP increase... |
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[Paul Makube] Headline inflation decreased from 5.1% year-on-year in June to a 39-month low of 4.6% year-on-year in July 2024. Monthly, it rose 0.4%, driven by electricity and core inflation pressures... |
|  Paul MakubeSenior Agricultural Economist, First National Bank Despite a trade surplus in Q2 2024, South Africa’s agriculture exports eased by 0.1% y/y to US$3.37 billion, shrinking the trade surplus by 6% y/y after a strong Q1... |
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[Paul Makube] Headline inflation decelerated to a 2024 low of 5.1% year-on-year in June, while food inflation reached 4.1% year-on-year, the lowest since February 2020... |
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[Paul Makube] "In a quarter characterised by a plethora of growth constraints such as the El Nino-induced heat wave the decimated crops, loadshedding, and inefficiencies at ports, agriculture still managed to rebound strongly in Q1, 2024." |
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[Paul Makube] Following an El Nino-induced weather scare in the first two months of 2024 with excessive heat decimating crops, there was a sigh of relief as rains returned across most of the summer crop areas... |
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[Paul Makube] The latest results of the Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index survey still showed a subdued mood among agribusiness as widely expected given the negative turn on the weather front that slashed harvest prospects for the 2023/24 summer crop season... |
|  Image source: Kampus Production from Pexels Headline inflation accelerated faster to 5.6% year-on-year (y/y) in February from 5.3% in January 2024, which is slightly above market expectations of 5.5% y/y. However, food inflation decelerated faster to the lowest level in 25 months at 6% y/y in February... |
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[Aa-isha Hassiem] “Things in the logistics system are broken and in desperate need of fixing," says Mike Walwyn, director of South African Freight Forwarders (SAFFE)... |
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[Paul Makube] Despite massive challenges, South Africa’s economy managed to expand by 0.6% in 2023... |
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[Paul Makube] Following a relatively good start to the 2023/24 crop season with good rains which saw farmers increasing their planted area for summer crops, the weather turned negative with limited follow-up rains coupled with excessive heat early in 2024.... |
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[John Hudson] Commercial agriculture, while essential for ensuring food security for a burgeoning population, poses many challenges... |
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[Wandile Sihlobo] There are divergent views about the effectiveness and extent to which South Africa's agricultural policies have been implemented... |
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[Paul Makube] The latest trade data update from Trade Map shows another impressive performance from the agriculture sector with the value of export earnings jumping by 4% year-on-year to $3.9bn... |
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[Paul Makube] The latest update on the Quarterly Labour Force Survey data from Statistics South Africa has confirmed the resilience of agriculture as it defied the odds and made a significant improvement in employment in the sector... |
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[John Hudson] The year 2023 has been a tricky one that has needed to be carefully navigated. In many ways, it has been a year of consolidation and recovery, particularly for exports... |
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[Paul Makube] Despite huge challenges stemming from deteriorating logistics infrastructure and cost pressures associated with loadshedding, the agriculture sector again showed further resilience... |
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[Paul Makube] Understanding various price drivers sheds light on the challenges faced by farmers and the extent to which the global economic landscape is impacting essential food items... |
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[John Hudson] As SA's agriculture is export-orientated, the focus must be on safeguarding its seamless continuation... |
