South Africa’s agri exports amounted to R64 bln ($3.4 billion) in the second quarter of this year. According to data from Trade Map, this amounts to a 0.1% year-on-year. Still, according to a statement from the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz), while South Africa’s agricultural exports in the first half of the year had been encouraging, the export earnings would likely soften this year from last year’s record.
Agbiz chief economist Wandile Sihlobo said despite challenges in key export markets such as the EU in the case of citrus, the products that dominated the export list this quarter were citrus, maize, apples and pears, wine, sugar, soybeans, wool, avocados, pineapples, fruit juices, nuts, and grapes.
The lower commodity prices and the stringent regulations of the citrus black spot disease in the EU market were among the factors likely to result in lower export earnings. Agbiz expected the effects of these challenges to be more evident in the second half of this year.
Source: iol.co.za