THE INTENSE and persistent load shedding right from the start of this year was a significant challenge for South Africa’s agriculture and agribusinesses, but next year the industry would have to refocus on the Master Plan, Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) chief economist Wandile Sihlobo said yesterday.
He said in crucial field crops, roughly 20% of maize, 15% of soybean, 34% of sugar cane, and nearly half of wheat were produced under irrigation. In red meat, poultry, piggery, wool, and dairy production, electricity was also heavily used across various processing activities.
“Similarly, agribusinesses and other food-producing businesses faced similar challenges in various downstream processing activities, such as milling, bakeries, abattoirs, wine processing, packaging, and animal vaccine production.
“Exporting agribusinesses, especially those where delays can be costly, such as fruits, red meat,…