South Africa

Western Cape grain farmers warn that high input costs, weak producer prices, and a distorted wheat market are threatening the future of local production, with potentially serious consequences for rural economies and food security.

Diversifying beyond honey can help beekeepers build more resilient businesses. Robyn Joubert speaks to two beekeepers about building businesses around bees through value-added hive products, pollination services, training and apitourism.

The industries represented by Grain SA, the South African Pork Producers’ Organisation, the Milk Producers’ Organisation, the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation, and the South African Poultry Association account for 61% of the gross value of agricultural production in South Africa.

Dr Mike Peel, a specialist scientist and ecologist at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), has received the 2026 Southern African Wildlife Management Association’s (SAWMA) Wildlife Excellence Award.

The growth potential of South Africa’s canola industry was placed in the spotlight at Nampo Cape 2026 during a Grain SA panel discussion titled ‘Canola: A Golden Future’.

In the past, Pako Moroeng, managing director of Mor Farming near Bloemhof, North West, has sometimes had just 24 hours to sell his freshly harvested produce before it starts to spoil. He spoke to Farmer’s Weekly about how a new packhouse could help extend the shelf life of his produce and improve market access.

The local pork industry used the South African Pork Producers’ Organisation’s 2026 annual general meeting and expo to take stock of an unprecedented year in animal health and outline a response built on risk-based disease control, digital traceability, producer support, and measurable welfare commitments.

The amount of water wasted in Gauteng each year is equivalent to the Western Cape’s entire annual water use, illustrating the enormous scale of South Africa’s municipal water losses at a time when a developing El Niño could place even greater pressure on supplies.

Farmers facing increasingly uncertain rainfall need to become more flexible in their decision-making and move away from following the same production recipe year after year.

Producers looking to improve their farms’ resilience to drought and heat stress need to understand how well their soils capture and hold water, and then adapt irrigation, nutrition, and crop choices accordingly.

South African farmers may eventually get some relief from high fuel costs, inflation and interest rates, but surviving increasingly tight margins will require much more than favourable economic conditions.

Europe’s extremely hot recent summer could be an early warning of severe conditions heading the Western Cape’s way, and the province and its agriculture sector therefore need to be ready, Premier Alan Winde told farmers at Nampo Cape 2026 on Friday.

Nampo Cape is expected to have attracted between 38 000 and 40 000 visitors this year, down from last year’s record attendance, but organisers say exhibitors remained upbeat despite wet weather and tough economic conditions.

Nampo Cape continued to prove its value as a meeting place for agriculture on Friday, as industry leaders grappled with mounting pressure on commodity prices, government support for emerging farmers and the challenges facing food production.

Building drought resilience requires long-term business planning, realistic cash-flow projections, and proactive bank communication. Farmers must match financing to asset lifespans and structure debt properly before tough seasons hit.

The 2026 Grain SA/Omnia Farmer Patent competition at Nampo Cape attracted 27 entries, up from 25 in 2025.

South African cherry growers have secured first-time access to the world's largest import market. A three-week early-season window offers an opening, but high airfreight costs and China's strict quality demands mean the opportunity will take time to build.

South African farmers face mounting challenges, but they need not face them alone. At the recent Agri North West Annual Congress, under the poignant theme ‘Are we alone?’, speakers stressed the importance of organised agriculture, partnerships, and practical support.

At Nampo Cape, Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp acknowledged failed government initiatives like agri-hubs, advocating for title deed transfers, skilled leadership, and strict due diligence to build profitable commercial farms.

Grain SA CEO Tobias Doyer says poor rainfall, weak grain prices and high input costs are highlighting the pressure facing many Swartland grain producers. In contrast, the Overberg area is expecting a better grain harvest, noted Doyer.