Johannesburg, 21/06/2023 -(MAP)- South Africa’s stance on the conflict in Ukraine is jeopardizing its agricultural exports to the United States and European countries, said on Wednesday the South African Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz).
“We are an export-oriented sector. If you increase production without focusing on maintaining export markets, it is going to be a waste,” said Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Chamber.
About half of South Africa’s 230 billion rand ($13 billion) agricultural output is destined for external markets, with Asia and the European Union (EU) representing the largest trading partners after the African continent.
“It is essential to maintain trade relations with the EU and other key agricultural export markets to avoid the risk of losses in terms of agricultural exports,” Mr. Sihlobo stressed.
For his part, the CEO of the Farmers’ Federation of South Africa (Agri SA), Christo van der Rheede, noted that the current situation South Africa is going through « is an indication that the agricultural sector in the country is moving towards troubled waters ».
