Cape town: For the first quarter of 2025, South Africa’s agricultural exports reached US$3.36 billion, which translates to a 10% increase year-on-year, says Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen. This growth is attributed to the efforts of the government in expanding market access and defending trade over the past year.
According to South African Government News Agency, the Minister highlighted several key achievements contributing to this success. These include facilitating new market access for various agricultural products such as avocados to China, maize to Japan and India, beef to Iran, and table grapes to the Philippines and Vietnam. A quick resolution was also managed regarding Botswana’s temporary ban on South African maize and wheat, which saw the border reopening within two weeks.
The Minister also emphasized South Africa’s active participation in international forums and bilateral engagements. The country was part of the Presidential delegation to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in China, where protocols for wool, dairy, and meat exports were secured. Furthermore, South Africa took part in high-level delegations to Davos, Japan, and Berlin and engaged in formal bilateral discussions with G7, African Union (AU), and G20 counterparts to enhance market access and advance biosecurity objectives.
Restoring biosecurity has been a priority for the government as global risks for animal and plant diseases have increased. The Minister emphasized that biosecurity has become an economic and national imperative. Over the past year, the establishment of the National Biosecurity Compact and a Biosecurity Council has been instrumental in coordinating responses to outbreaks.
Efforts have included deploying animal health technicians to vaccinate against Foot and Mouth Disease in regions like Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. In addition, the government has relaunched the National Biosecurity Hub in collaboration with the University of Pretoria and commenced the country’s first avian influenza vaccination campaign, supported by advanced digital disease surveillance.
Steenhuisen also discussed targeted farmer support initiatives. This year, over 6,000 farmers received direct support through a R1.7 billion allocation, leading to the creation of 3,000 jobs. Nearly 9,500 work opportunities were generated through the Ilima/Letsema programme, which supported 67,492 vulnerable households. New smallholder farmer programmes have been launched, focused on shifting from ‘grow and sell’ to ‘grow to sell’ paradigms.
The government has also accelerated global Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) accreditation for emerging producers and expanded access to finance via a restructured Blended Finance Scheme. Emphasizing the importance of youth in agriculture, over 3,000 agricultural graduates have participated in internship programmes. The integration of all 11 agricultural colleges into the higher education system has begun, starting with Elsenburg.
Investments are being made in climate-smart agriculture, pollinator protection, agroecology, and digital agri-tech tools to appeal to the next generation and ensure a sustainable future for the agricultural sector.