Agbiz CEO Theo Boshoff said the reality is that agriculture is only one sector among many, which means expectations must be tempered.
“One noteworthy achievement that I hope [Ramaphosa] will mention is the record exports we had last year. These figures have just come in and show we had exports of US$15,1 billion (about R240 billion),” he said, adding that this is significantly higher than in any previous year and highlights agriculture as a ‘sunrise’ sector.
On the other hand, Boshoff said there are some “very real challenges” he hopes Ramaphosa will address, chief among these being the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination rollout.
“This is one we really hope the president will acknowledge and that it will get the national attention it deserves.”
Other broader cross-sector concerns include economic reforms and logistics reforms related to ports and rail.
“On the export side, to maintain growth, we need more favourable access to more export destinations. We have phytosanitary agreements negotiated by the department with individual countries and are starting to see some periodic improvement there,” Boshoff said.
He added that tariffs remain a big issue: “We do not have preferential trade terms, free trade agreements, or partial scope trade agreements in many Middle Eastern and Asian countries, where most of our Southern Hemisphere competitors do.”
Animal health crisis
Dr Frikkie Maré, CEO of the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation, said the SONA should address the current state of animal health in South Africa and what will be done to improve it, noting that while FMD is a major problem at the moment, it is only one part of a much bigger animal health crisis in the country.
“We have FMD, a Rift Valley fever outbreak is threatening, there is African swine fever resulting in thousands of pigs being culled, and lumpy skin disease,” he explained, adding that brucellosis is another disease that “we can’t get under control”.
“All of these diseases are either state-controlled or notifiable, so I think they should talk about the dire straits our national animal health status is in.”
Maré said the current model at national and departmental level is not working: “It feels like the animal health status is deteriorating year on year.”
His SONA wish list is not only for a mention but for serious discussion on how the situation can be improved.
“I think agriculture should be placed under the spotlight for now, as it is one of the sectors facing the biggest challenges at this stage.”
Previous commitments have not materialised
Henry Geldenhuys, president of TLU SA, said the organisation is calling for more than empty promises.
Referring to the SONA 2025, he questioned what had become of the promised infrastructure investment of more than R940 billion over three years, reforms at state institutions like Eskom and Transnet, and a R20 billion transformation fund to support small and black-owned enterprises.
“There was also talk of safety and security, job creation, economic growth, reforms, and new opportunities for the youth. Do these promises have any successes to show?” he asked.
Geldenhuys said the current government is ideologically driven, describing cadre deployment as “the biggest enemy of the citizens of the country”.
“It has resulted in a loss of focus on the economic [goals] necessary to promote investor confidence. No investor can invest in a country that is threatening property rights and expropriation without compensation,” he explained.
He cited the FMD crisis as an example of the erosion of state services and said there is a 65% shortage of state veterinarians.
“We are working with a capacity of 35%. Even if we had enough vaccines to inoculate all 14 million animals, we would not have enough vets, especially considering that a veterinarian who has worked with sick animals cannot work with other animals for seven days.”
Geldenhuys said TLU SA is calling for sufficient vaccines and for private-sector veterinarians to be allowed to administer them.
“I am calling on Ramaphosa to make promises that can be executed and implemented. Don’t make empty promises that end up making the country too expensive for its citizens and its agriculture sector,” he concluded.
Support for rural communities
Eben du Plessis, deputy president of Agri Eastern Cape, said the organisation’s wish is for Ramaphosa to announce more government support for farmers.
“First of all, there is the FMD outbreak. We need to get the vaccines in as soon as possible and then have government support the farmers in this process and, importantly, pay for the vaccines,” he explained.
He stressed that agriculture is one of the only sectors that has been growing and contributing positively to the economy over the last few years and creating jobs, even though the minimum wage has increased.
Du Plessis said another concern is government’s failure to maintain rural infrastructure, such as roads, which farmers often have to pay for out of their own pockets.
However, he is hopeful there will be some indication of support to improve or provide services to rural communities.
Master plan must be implemented
The African Farmers’ Association of South Africa (Afasa) emphasised two “strategic issues for inclusive agricultural growth” as hopes for SONA 2026.
The association said in a statement that it is calling for decisive action on the FMD crisis, including awareness, education, and equitable access to vaccines. It added that vaccines and disease-control measures must be distributed fairly, reaching smallholder and emerging farmers and not just commercial operations.
It also highlighted biosecurity, saying veterinary services need strengthening, with improved surveillance and rapid-response capacity to protect livelihoods and safeguard export potential.
Afasa’s second priority is the implementation of the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP), which it says must go from policy to practice.
“[Government must] move beyond announcements to actual implementation of the AAMP, with measurable timelines and accountability,” it added.
The association said that while the AAMP had set ambitious targets for commodity growth and transformation, the actual contribution from black farmers remains disproportionately low, often below 10% in major value chains.
It added that without equitable participation, the AAMP could risk reinforcing existing dualism in agriculture rather than dismantling it.
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