Although there are lag effects between the decline in agricultural commodity prices and retail food prices, the benefits of the uptick in agricultural production are already reflected in food prices. South Africa's annual food and beverages inflation fell to 8.7% year-on-year in March 2017, which is the lowest level in 14 months.   Wandile Sihlobo, Agbiz Head: Economic and Agribusiness Intelligence, provides more information in the linked update»

The weaker ZAR/USD exchange and higher Brent crude oil prices means agribusinesses and farmers could be paying 3% more for a litre of diesel next month. Recent data from the Central Energy Fund shows that petrol (95 ULP Inland) and diesel (0.05% Wholesale Inland) prices could increase by 55 cents per litre (c/l) and 37 c/l, respectively, on 03 May 2017. This could bring the retail price of petrol up to R13.85 per litre from the current level of R13.30 per litre. Wholesale diesel price could increase to R11.87 per litre from R11.50 per litre. This coincides with a harvesting period for summer crops and a planting period for winter crops.  Wandile Sihlobo provides more information in the linked document»

The Climate Prediction Center/NCEP/NWS and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society issued their latest ENSO Advisory on 13 April 2017.   ENSO-neutral conditions are favoured to continue through at least the Southern Hemisphere autumn of 2017, with increasing chances for El Niño development by late winter and spring. ENSO-neutral conditions continued during March, with near-average sea surface temperatures (SSTs) across the central equatorial Pacific and above-average SSTs in the eastern Pacific. The upper-ocean heat content anomaly, averaged across the central and eastern Pacific, decreased to near zero during March, a reflection of above-average temperatures at depth in the east offset by below-average temperatures in the central Pacific. Atmospheric convection remained suppressed over the central tropical Pacific and enhanced over the Maritime Continent. Overall, the ocean and atmosphere system is consistent with ENSO-neutral conditions. Please click on ENSO Advisory to peruse full press release.

Land Bank has set a target of disbursing "at least" R1-billion in 2017/18 to support investments by black entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector and to begin transforming a loan book that is still overwhelmingly composed of funding to established commercial farmers - Read more»

Two Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute students, who are beneficiaries of government bursaries schemes, threw their weight behind the growing campaign for free higher education during the government's Imbizo focus week meeting at the Middleburg campus of the Eastern Cape institute -   Read more»

The Trade and Investment Hub is a five-year trade and investment facilitation project for Southern Africa. It's the fourth generation of trade hubs funded by USAID that have helped increase trade and investment across the region. The project is expected to increase global competitiveness and intra-regional trade and improve food security in Southern Africa -  Read more»