South Africa’s agriculture is well-known for being export-orientated. Therefore, the focus must be on safeguarding its seamless continuation. Attention should be focused on improving logistics efficiency, intensifying the promotion of South African products in export markets, and sustaining solid relations with existing critical export markets while securing expansion into new markets.

This is particularly important in the context of growing tensions between the East and the West – as highlighted by the potential loss of SA’s benefits through the United States (US) African Growth and Opportunity Act (also known as AGOA) – and stricter regulations being imposed by the European Union.

One of these potential issues is the objective of the European Green Deal to reduce the environmental and carbon footprint in the way food is produced and consumed in the bloc. An obvious challenge here is South Africa’s dependence on fossil fuels, which is unlikely to meet the criteria required for EU targets.

The Middle East, Asia, the Americas and the UK currently account for 36% and are perhaps where attention is critical. Some of South Africa’s fiercest competition is from other ‘Global South’ producers, which have various trade agreements in place with third markets in Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas.

Source: zawya.com