Every other yr awaits as nature’s cycle starts once more. Our farmers are the most effective in Africa, in all probability even the sector, however 2024 will problem them as by no means sooner than, writes Peter Hughes.
The agriculture sector in South Africa has as soon as once more outshone the sagging nationwide financial system. Regardless of the drive from automation on jobs, employment greater 10% year-on-year, or even the minister of agriculture applauded this exceptional expansion!
And let’s no longer omit our farmers’ efficiency all the way through the COVID-19 years. Manufacturing and export volumes soared, making sure a continual waft of meals provides and sustained employment.
And another time, all the way through the horrendous unrest and looting on 9 July 2021, with torching of vans, public violence and malicious harm to assets the order of the day, farmers have been the primary to get out of the blocks.
Inside of days, vans have been again at the roads; the most important export citrus crop ever used to be effectively dropped at the ports; milk vans have been catching up with provides; sugar turbines have been crushing cane; and abattoirs and meat processors have been again on flow.
I’m proud to be a part of this distinctive brotherhood of South African farmers, however there’s no time to indulge in previous glories as there’s paintings to be finished.
Edrean Ernst, avocado farmer extraordinaire and chairperson of the South African Avocado Growers’ Affiliation, eloquently reminded us in a up to date submit of the day by day demanding situations confronted by means of any farmer.
Pointing to boxes of avocados on easy methods to the packhouse, he mentioned: “Those are the results of a yr of managing water, climate, humidity, pests, fungus, daylight, soil moisture, vitamin, temperature, bees, price range, tractors, apparatus, labour, admin, electrical energy, diesel, irrigation programs, politics, genetics, religion, hope and love, in the course of the steady effort of our improbable crew of folks.”
So what now?
There may be little question that all of the same old demanding situations of doing trade in South Africa will stay and might aggravate all the way through 2024. As it’s an election yr, the point of interest of maximum politicians and state workers can be firmly on holding their jobs, without a considered coping with the myriad issues of industrial and repair supply.
A contemporary headline in BusinessTech captures the location smartly: “Load-shedding isn’t South Africa’s largest drawback anymore.”
The object is going on: “Shipment ships are ready as many as 19 days to dump their shipments … 70 000 transport boxes are stranded on ships off Durban … the Global Financial institution’s container port efficiency ranks our ports the worst on the earth.”
Transnet CEO Michelle Phillips describes the continued disaster on the port of Durban as “Rome is burning”, and Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Street Freight Affiliation, says: “World wide, persons are having a look at us and announcing, if I can’t get my items out of South Africa, I’m going to head and purchase them in different places.”
If the seriousness of those phrases don’t make you sit down up and take realize, trip with me, as I frequently do, at the roads resulting in the important thing east coast ports of Maputo, Richards Bay and Durban.
I was stunned by means of parked lanes of vans at the roadside of a couple of kilometres lengthy. I’m now relieved if they’re not up to 20km to 25km.
In desperation, drivers are the use of native facet roads to get their rather a lot to the ports, however those roads have been by no means constructed to maintain this type and quantity of site visitors. In the event that they have been unhealthy sooner than, they’re rapid turning into unpassable.
Survival package
It sort of feels to me that this can be a time the place ‘strategic’ making plans of a different sort is wanted by means of farmers. Most likely a greater time period can be ‘survival’ making plans, as standard strategic considering round the important thing purposes that stay any trade viable want to be parked.
A collection of ordinary questions must be confronted and plans made if the unthinkable occurs. As an example:
- How can you cope if Eskom collapses totally?
- What’s going to you do if inward and outward logistics fail utterly?
- How can you minimise losses if ports fail or export markets are misplaced?
- What’s going to you do if imports of gas, fertiliser and agricultural chemical compounds are interrupted?
It’s going to be a yr the place trade managers are examined like by no means sooner than. On the other hand, as we’ve got noticed prior to now, the place the state falls brief, the non-public sector, and particularly our farmers, have solid forward and feature been able to filling the distance.
In 2024, ‘n boer maak ‘n plan will tackle an entire new that means. Excellent success and glad New Yr.
Peter Hughes is a trade and control marketing consultant.