The agricultural outlook for South Africa’s 2024/25 season hangs in the balance as hot and dry conditions persist, leading to rising anxieties among farmers about potential yield losses.
According to Absa AgriBusiness, these weather patterns pose a significant threat to crop production, particularly if timely rainfall does not materialise.
Dr Marlene Louw, senior economist at Absa AgriBusiness, has been closely monitoring the situation, emphasising that “sufficient rainfall within the next few days is crucial, especially in the Eastern parts of the country, which have an earlier summer grain and oilseed planting window.”
Without this much-needed moisture, the implications could echo throughout the agricultural sector.
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (Dalrrd) recently released a climate advisory detailing the state of veld and livestock conditions across the nation,…