Heavy rains in SA agriculture

In this week’s podcast segment, agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo shares his observations of how the heavy rains in South Africa influence farm activity. He provides granular insights into each agricultural subsector. For example, the rains have had a mixed impact on fruits, where Banana and macadamia fields were distracted in parts of Mpumalanga. In contrast, the overall country and other fruits were left untouched.
In the field crops, the sugarcane fields thrive in these rains, while maize farmers in the Free State are experiencing excessively wet conditions that delay plantings. He also dives into the livestock industry issues, outlining possibilities of disease occurrences in this period.
Broadly, this week’s segment is a necessary update on South Africa’s agricultural conditions from an on-the-ground perspective.

Credit:

Production by Lwandiso Gwarubana, Richard Humphries, and Sam Mkokeli