Browse Data and Analysis

The South African Agricultural Economic Fact Sheet has been updated to include calendar year 2021. Bilateral agricultural trad between the United States and South Africa reached record levels of US$860 million in 2021.

South Africa is set for a record pome fruit and table grape production in marketing year 2021/22. Favorable weather conditions, new areas under production, and higher yielding cultivars is driving the growth in production.

On April 11, the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development announced that the country is battling 56 outbreak cases of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) involving farms and communal areas in the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West and Gauteng. According to the DALRRD Animal Health Directorate, the outbreaks currently troubling South Africa were caused by illegal movements of animals out of the FMD controlled zones in Limpopo.

Days after the Port of Durban resumed operations after a period of civil unrest brought the terminal to a standstill, South Africa’s state-owned port, rail, and pipeline authority, Transnet, announced that a cyber-attack had again crippled the flow of goods in and out of the country.

Post forecasts that raisin production will rebound to normal levels and increase by 19 percent to 85,000 Metric Tons (MT) in the 2021/22 MY, based on normal weather conditions, an increase in area planted, new orchards coming into full production, an improvement in yields due to new varieties and production practices, wine grapes being diverted for raisin production,

On July 25, 2021, South Africa partially lifted the prohibition on the domestic transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages.