Collaboration vital to ensure that SA agri-businesses can recover from drought
18 May 2016
Despite winter fast approaching, South Africa is still experiencing the worst drought in over 30 years, with the agricultural sector having recently experienced an estimated R16 billion loss. Recent statistics released by Grain SA also reveals that total crop production in South Africa fell by 27% year–on-year, from 16.45 million tons in 2014 to 11.9 million tons in 2015. According to Dawie Buys, Technical Advisor at the South African Insurance Association (SAIA), as a result South Africa has become a net importer of maize for the first time since 2008, importing 407 366 tons between May and October 2015.