Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly at the conclusion of the 92nd Swartland Show in Moorreesburg that took place from 3 to 5 September, 2026, Doyer said events such as these remain important platforms for farmers to share ideas, access new knowledge and find ways to navigate difficult seasons.
He was also looking forward to engaging with the industry and other key stakeholders at the Nampo Cape show taking place in Bredasdrop from 9 to 12 September, 2026.
“The Swartland Show is always special because of the people and the spirit you find here. But this year there is no doubt that the mood is heavier,” said Doyer.
After spending the week engaging with growers, agribusinesses and industry stakeholders at the Swartland Show, Doyer and his team observed the mood among many producers reflected the reality of a season marked by disappointing rainfall and growing uncertainty about yields in parts of the region.
“The area has received very little rain, and many producers were hoping for a good shower during the week of the show. When that did not happen, you could see the disappointment,” noted Doyer.
He said his conversations with farmers across the region revealed the extent of the challenge.
“I spoke to farmers as far as Eendekuil and in some areas there is very little crop left. You can hear that some of those producers are facing real challenges,” noted Doyer.
Beyond seasonal conditions, Doyer warned that grain producers continue to face several structural challenges.
“The Western Cape grain industry is under pressure. The first challenge is that we do not have sufficient tariff protection against imports. The second is the transport differential, particularly to Johannesburg. The third is access to new technology,” explained Doyer.
He said Grain SA continues to engage government and industry stakeholders to improve access to newer cultivars and crop protection technologies that can enhance producer competitiveness.
While Doyer provided the broader industry perspective, he reflected on some of his talks with agricultural suppliers who are already seeing the impact of the difficult season on the ground, which can be seen in much lower machinery sales.
Lower machinery sales reflects challenging winter grain season
Jason Jennings, Overberg Agri’s mechanisation marketer responsible for the Durbanville, Malmesbury, Wellington, Paarl, Riebeek-Kasteel and Darling regions, said conditions varied across the winter grain production belt, but parts of the Swartland had been particularly hard hit by the lack of rainfall.
“Towards the Red Karoo and Piketberg side it is going rough. There are farmers who are considering whether they will even harvest because the rain stayed away,” noted Jennings.
According to him some producers have already decided to use crops for grazing rather than proceed with harvesting.
“There are already growers who have started putting sheep into their fields instead of harvesting.”
Conditions around Malmesbury appeared somewhat better, although heat stress was becoming a concern Jennings noted.
“In my area it still looks like the harvest will pull through, but the heat is starting to have an impact. The mood among growers is low, but we have to stay positive and hope something still comes from the land,” said a hopeful Jennings.
The difficult season is also being reflected in machinery sales.
“If it goes well with farmers, it goes well with us in mechanisation. Now there is not much to talk about. It’s not going well,” said Jennings.
He said demand for new machinery had fallen sharply, while growers remained cautious about major capital purchases.
“Our new purchases have reduced drastically, while second-hand sales have held up a little better,” noted Jennings.
His comments mirrored sentiment visible in parts of the machinery section on the final day of the show, where foot traffic was noticeably quieter as many growers weighed up uncertain harvest prospects.
Overberg has better harvest prospects
Jennings and Doyer noted that the Overberg wheat area looked far more promising after receiving better rainfall this winter.
“The Overberg is looking very different. If they receive another good rain or two, many producers there could still be looking at a strong harvest,” noted Doyer.
Despite the challenges facing producers in especially the Swartland, Jennings said Overberg Agri remained committed to supporting growers through difficult periods such as this.
“The Overberg is looking much better because they received more rain. That is reflected in their sales. We really try to take the hands of growers. We understand that input costs have been very high, especially diesel and that many producers are under pressure,” noted Jennings.
