South Africa’s farming sector is experiencing another year of mixed fortunes in 2026 – much like 2025. Horticulture (fruit and vegetables) and field crops are broadly on a more positive footing than last year in terms of production volumes, as reflected in the ample harvests of various crops.
However, significant challenges remain, ranging from pressure on commodity prices and severe weather events to shipping cost disruptions and domestic logistics constraints.
For the citrus industry in particular, continued growth will depend on expanding export markets and achieving meaningful improvements in port efficiency and road infrastructure.
Commodity prices have broadly been under pressure, posing a challenge for farmers who started the season with higher input costs.
The sector also endured severe weather events, starting with floods in the north-eastern regions of South Africa at the beginning of the year, followed by destructive floods in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape. These events imposed immense costs on the affected farming businesses.
In field crops, wheat and sugarcane growers face similarly challenging conditions. Low international sugar and wheat prices mean the domestic market could see more imports, putting pressure on local industries that started the season with higher input costs. It is for these reasons, among others, that wheat and sugarcane farmers have called for an increase in import tariffs.
Taking all this into account, the field crops and horticulture subsectors have still performed well. Food price inflation was 0.6% in July, its lowest level since 2010, as a result of these ample harvests and lower prices. South African households are enjoying this benefit.
The one subsector that continues to face challenges, as it did last year, is the cattle industry. Foot-and-mouth disease remains a concern although the country is making progress with vaccination. Pork producers also struggled with African swine fever for a period.
However, within the livestock subsector, we see positive developments in the poultry industry, which has benefited from lower yellow maize and soybean prices, driven by ample harvests. Soybeans and yellow maize account for roughly 70% of poultry producers’ input costs, and their prices declined notably for much of this year, supporting poultry businesses.
Citrus growth depends on logistics
Returning to the citrus industry, several issues persist, including geopolitical tensions, shipping cost disruptions, trade disputes in the European Union and domestic logistics challenges. The industry was also affected by floods in various parts of the country.
The one aspect I keep emphasising is that we have an industry that employs more than 100 000 people. Its long-term sustainability depends on addressing these challenges and ensuring that it can continue to grow.
We also increasingly need to pay attention to labour-related issues, given the ongoing immigration discourse in the country.
We have made some progress in exports in recent years. Citrus remains South Africa’s leading agricultural export, accounting for 17% of the country’s US$15.1 billion in agricultural exports in 2025.
South Africa’s citrus export markets are diverse and span the African continent, Asia, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, the Black Sea region, Europe and the Americas, among others.
However, we cannot take this for granted. We need to deepen exports to a range of countries across these regions and ensure that collaboration among Transnet, organised agriculture and the private sector leads to meaningful and sustainable improvements in port efficiency. This is key to the success of this important sector.
Scientists are doing their best to ensure that we produce high-yielding, excellent citrus cultivars.
The government and other stakeholders must continue to do their part to ensure that this high-quality fruit reaches export markets efficiently, so that the South African farming economy remains robust, with citrus as one of its key export products.
