Deteriorating Road Infrastructure Constraints South African Agricultural Sector Growth
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FarmersWeekly.co.za reports that the blueberry season is off to a good start in South Africa’s northern production regions, with growers in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West expecting good returns from strong yields, high-quality fruit, and favourable export prices. In the Western Cape, however, the outlook is less certain. Around half of the country’s blueberries are grown there, and producers face uncertainty as they wait to see how a warmer-than-usual winter, flood damage earlier in the year, and potential port disruptions will affect the season, which is due to begin in October. Nicolas Balcomb, director of Primocane Capital, which operates blueberry farms in Mpumalanga and the Western Cape, said that while their Barberton operation had enjoyed an excellent season, flood damage had reduced their Western Cape crop by about 30%.
Stronger collaboration between organised agriculture, government, and industry stakeholders is essential to building a more resilient agriculture sector, industry leaders said during a panel discussion at the Agri Eastern Cape Congress 2026, held in Jeffreys Bay on 5 and 6 August. Opening the discussion, Peter Cloete, president of Agri Eastern Cape, said resilience required producers to look beyond their farm boundaries and engage with broader issues affecting the agriculture sector. He said deteriorating infrastructure, particularly roads, remained one of the biggest constraints on agricultural growth, prompting many producers to step in where government services had fallen short.
And…Dr Boitshoko Ntshabele, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa, says the current season has been “highly unusual”, with conflict in the Middle East, inclement weather, softer demand, logistics challenges, and new US tariffs creating a challenging export environment for South Africa’s citrus industry. Dr Ntshabele said that the Middle East usually accounts for about 19% of all of South Africa’s citrus exports. South Africa also experienced extreme weather, specifically flooding in the Western and Eastern Cape, and this has influenced export figures. His concerns were echoed by Pieter de Jager, CEO of the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum, who said that exporters were facing difficult conditions across virtually all major destinations.
For more news and trusted information about agriculture in South Africa, visit farmersweekly.co.za
Stronger collaboration between organised agriculture, government, and industry stakeholders is essential to building a more resilient agriculture sector, industry leaders said during a panel discussion at the Agri Eastern Cape Congress 2026, held in Jeffreys Bay on 5 and 6 August. Opening the discussion, Peter Cloete, president of Agri Eastern Cape, said resilience required producers to look beyond their farm boundaries and engage with broader issues affecting the agriculture sector. He said deteriorating infrastructure, particularly roads, remained one of the biggest constraints on agricultural growth, prompting many producers to step in where government services had fallen short.
And…Dr Boitshoko Ntshabele, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa, says the current season has been “highly unusual”, with conflict in the Middle East, inclement weather, softer demand, logistics challenges, and new US tariffs creating a challenging export environment for South Africa’s citrus industry. Dr Ntshabele said that the Middle East usually accounts for about 19% of all of South Africa’s citrus exports. South Africa also experienced extreme weather, specifically flooding in the Western and Eastern Cape, and this has influenced export figures. His concerns were echoed by Pieter de Jager, CEO of the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum, who said that exporters were facing difficult conditions across virtually all major destinations.
For more news and trusted information about agriculture in South Africa, visit farmersweekly.co.za
