The South African government needs to move much faster to open export market opportunities for South African farmers, according to agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.
In his blog, Sihlobo said the new US tariffs highlighted the need for urgent action to diversify agricultural exports. This is an issue he has championed for some time.
“South Africa cannot keep moving at a pedestrian pace on trade matters during heightened geoeconomic tension. There is a need for renewed energy and urgency from the government officials’ side,” he wrote.
“The BRICS region remains crucial in this endeavour, amongst other regions. Here, the South African government must have a sharper focus on lowering import tariffs and phytosanitary barriers in countries such as China, India, and Saudi Arabia, with the latter mainly for fruits.
“Moreover, the continuous effort to retain access to markets South Africa already exports to is also vital.”
He also called for a rethink on the marketing of agricultural exports.
“Presenting South African products as a pack under the ‘South Africa Inc’ approach may be key,” Sihlobo suggested.
He said South Africa should also do what it could to address domestic agricultural issues.
While the poultry industry stressed the need to accelerate a bird flu vaccination programme, “feedback from the regulators about this issue has not been encouraging so far,” Sihlobo noted.
