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contribution to research and development and an intensive exten-
sion service has also increasingly declined. The research and devel-
opment (R&D) gap has been partly filled by the private sector.
While international market access has improved and there is evi-
dence of global competitiveness, domestic competition has become
much tougher. Examples of this include the influx of poultry prod-
ucts, frozen potato chips, and increasing wheat imports.
Hectares planted to wheat are now one-third of what they were in
the late 1980s. This is because it is cheaper to import wheat than to
grow it. The same is true for cotton. In the early 1990s, more than
100 000 ha used to be planted for cotton. Now only one-tenth of that
is planted, because cheaper products can be imported.
Some positive outcomes
Despite the limited agricultural potential and resource scarcity,
South Africa has managed to make substantial improvements in
many areas. It remains one of the main exporters of agricultural
products to the most lucrative markets in the developed world. It
exports citrus, wool, avocados and nuts to the US and horticultural
products, wine and tea to the EU.
South Africa has also found new markets. Its biggest trading part-
ners are now in Africa, overtaking the EU which used to dominate
most facets of trade.
There has also been more diversification in terms of products such
as soybeans. These are in high demand globally and investment is
increasing to support production. Production has been increased
with the use of fewer hectares due to technology adoption and the
planting of genetically modified organisms.
Government played an instrumental role by opening up markets,
creating the environment and adjusting policies to allow the private
sector to take advantage of opportunities. It also opened up market
access beyond what was required by the WTO.
Policy concerns
Some of the contributors to the sector’s poor performance have
been policy implementation and the panic these have caused among
farmers. Land reform is one policy area that will need to be designed
and implemented better.
There are other government programmes which were pursued with
the aim of transforming the sector, but the implementation, evalua-
tion and monitoring have been very poor. Support of smallholders
and black farmers was inadequate and was without mentorship.
Technology transfer/adoption and extension services were either
poor or non-existent in many areas. And some national policies are
not helpful to farmers to compete in global terms because the custo-
dians are separate government departments.
Even if these issues were addressed, South Africa will remain a high-
cost producer, which presents its own set of challenges.
This article was first published on 27 July 2015 on
The Conversa-
tion
– an online publication. Visit:
http://theconversation.com/south
-africas-struggling-agricultural-sector-what-went-wrong-20-years-
ago-45171
.
Saadmaatskappy vier
60STE JAAR
in bedryf
P
annar, as oudste saadmaatskappy in die land, het onlangs
’n historiese mylpaal met die viering van sy 60ste verjaars-
dag behaal. Híérdie trots Suid-Afrikaanse maatskappy kan
daarop roem dat hy oor ses dekades, sedert die stigting in
1958 op Greytown in KwaZulu-Natal, tot ’n hoogs gerespekteerde
internasionale landbou-onderneming ontwikkel het.
As die grootste saadgroep in Afrika, besit Pannar vandag ’n
voetspoor in agt Afrika-lande en saad word regoor die kontinent
bemark. “Dit kan onder andere toegeskryf word aan die kernwaardes
waarop die maatskappy se besigheidsbeginsels rus,” het mnr Nick
Goble (kommersiële bestuurder, Pannar) gesê. “Met die ontwikkeling
van Pannar se wetenskaplike en volhoubare oplossings vir ons
kliënte is die veiligheid en gesondheid van al ons rolspelers nog
altyd voorop gestel. Dit loop hand aan hand met ons doelwitte vir
omgewingsbewaring en ons strewe om altyd professioneel en eties
op te tree.”
Corteva Agriscience™, die landbou-afdeling van DowDuPont en
Pannar Saad se moedermaatskappy, het in die afgelope twee
jaar R100 miljoen in ’n Afrika-streekstegnologiesentrum belê om
produkontwikkeling van verskeie gewasse vir produsente in Afrika
te versnel.
MARIËTTA CRONJÉ,
SA Graan/Grain
medewerker
Pannar het hom tydens sy 60ste verjaarsdagviering weer eens verbind
tot die lewering van saad wat deur innoverende teeltegnieke ontwik-
kel is en wat wyd vir plaaslike sukses getoets is. By die geleentheid
was: Pierre Flye Sainte Marie (vise-president, Corteva [Europa, Afrika,
Midde-Ooste]), Prabdeep Bajwa (kommersiële leier, Corteva [Afrika,
Midde-Ooste]), Tony Esmeraldo (kommersiële leier, Corteva [Suid-
Afrika]), Nick Goble, John Odendaal (nasionale bemarkingsbestuurder,
Pannar) en David Lambie (uitvoerbestuurder, Pannar).