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· In spite of the poor performance of the manufacturing sector, South Africa recorded a 5 percent year-on-year increase in agriculture exports in the third quarter of this year, according to the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz).
· The third quarterly exports of agricultural goods stood at US$3.2 billion (about R49.3bn), which is an increase of 5 percent on a year-on-year basis
· Export of citrus, wine, maize, nuts, deciduous fruit and sugar cane has picked up during the period appreciably
· Overall, South Africa’s agricultural exports could go up in 2020 from 2019’s US$9.9billion to more than US$10billion thanks to increase in grains and horticultural output, and, to a certain extent, the weakening domestic currency
In spite of the poor performance of the manufacturing sector, South Africa recorded a 5 percent year-on-year increase in agriculture exports in the third quarter of this year, according to the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz).
Lacing the contributory factors for increase in exports, the chamber said that l good harvest, joint efforts by the government and the private sector to keep agriculture operational since the start of the lockdown, and long-term efforts to develop export markets paid off for the sector. The third quarterly exports of agricultural goods stood at US$3.2 billion (about R49.3bn), which is an increase of 5 percent on a year-on-year basis. Export of citrus, wine, maize, nuts, deciduous fruit and sugar cane has picked up during the period appreciably. This trend is likely to continue in the last quarter of the year also. Citrus exports for this year are expected to reach a record 2.5 million tons, so also wine exports which would continue to improve in the last quarter of the year.
Overall, South Africa’s agricultural exports could go up in 2020 from 2019’s US$9.9billion to more than US$10billion thanks to increase in grains and horticultural output, and, to a certain extent, the weakening domestic currency.
