South Africa’s lucerne export trade to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been disrupted as tensions in the Middle East affect shipments to one of the country’s primary markets for alfalfa hay.
According to Pindulo VDM director Kevin Changoo, the interruption comes at a critical stage in the agricultural production cycle.
“At present, farms are actively cutting and baling lucerne, which is the normal production phase before volumes begin moving through the export logistics chain,” said Changoo.
He added that Pindulo VDM played a significant role in the export corridor, facilitating road transport, warehousing and containerisation for lucerne exports destined for the UAE.
“In the 2025 season we facilitated more than 700 containers, equating to over 14 000 tons of lucerne exports moving through our logistics chain,” Changoo explained.
“For 2026, we started the year forecasting a doubling of our full 2025 performance, and we have already matched last year’s volumes. In addition, we had provisionally booked a further 13 000 tons of exports, approximately 658 containers, for the remainder of the season.”
“The concern is that these provisionally booked shipments are now potentially in jeopardy because exports to the UAE, which is the primary market for South African lucerne, are currently on hold.”
South Africa has become a significant supplier of lucerne to the UAE due to strong demand for imported animal feed.
Data from the World Integrated Trade Solution shows exports to the Emirates reaching 31 700 tons in 2022 and 54 148 tons in 2023, largely shipped through the Port of Jebel Ali.
Changoo noted that alternative markets such as China could potentially absorb some of the volumes currently destined for the UAE.
“Pindulo VDM already holds the required China export licence, which means we are well positioned should those market flows open up,” he said.
“However, the broader challenge is that the approval process for export chains to China is administered by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and historically applications are submitted and approved once per annum.
“In light of the current tensions and interruptions in the Middle East, greater administrative flexibility would help ensure that exporters across the industry are able to redirect shipments to alternative and unaffected markets when disruptions occur.”
For now, farms continue harvesting and baling lucerne while exporters monitor developments in the region and assess whether shipments to the UAE can resume.
