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Farmers Are More Optimistic: Confidence in Agriculture Jumps High Farmers Are More Optimistic: Confidence in Agriculture Jumps High Farming Farmers Are More Optimistic: Confidence in Agriculture Jumps High Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp By Agri News December 11, 2025 The mood in South African agriculture brightened in the final quarter of 2025, with the Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) making a firm rebound. After two consecutive quarterly declines, the ACI lifted by 5 points to 67, placing it firmly above the 50-point neutral mark, which suggests that agribusinesses are generally optimistic about business conditions in the country. The report, which reflects a survey conducted in the last week of November, pinpoints several factors driving the renewed optimism, a sentiment shared by leading experts in the sector. Why Confidence Went Up: Weather, Exports, and FMD Hope According to Wandile Sihlobo, Chief Economist of Agbiz, the increase was fundamentally driven by positive production conditions and better logistics. Farmers are feeling better because of: Favourable weather conditions, with optimism surrounding the onset of La Niña-induced rains for the 2025/26 sea…

NAMPO reflects optimism and growing concerns in South Africa's ... Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) said that Agriculture's largest exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere held last week in Bothaville indicated a positive mood but a mixed picture for Agriculture. Image:Yogashen Pillay / Independent Newspapers South Africa’s agricultural sector entered 2026 with cautious optimism, but mounting concerns over animal disease outbreaks, infrastructure failures and rising geopolitical risks continue to cloud the industry’s longer-term outlook. This was the assessment fromAgricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz)chief economist, Wandile Sihlobo, following last week’sNAMPO Harvest Dayexhibition in Bothaville. Sihlobo said the annual event once again highlighted both the resilience and vulnerabilities of South African agriculture, offering industry players an opportunity to engage openly on the sector’s future. “The mood was generally positive atNAMPO, though people didn’t hide the fact that the South African farming sector faces some challenges.Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the beef and dairy industries, along with African swine fever in the pig industry,is…

Farmers unshaken as agribusiness optimism at highest since 2021 Business sentiment among SA farmers was unmoved by geopolitical tension and the potential elimination of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) in the first quarter, with agribusiness confidence at its highest level since 2021. The agricultural business chamber (AgBiz) reported an 11-point increase in its latest agribusiness confidence index (ACI) between the three months to end-December and the first quarter, marking a third consecutive quarterly improvement. Based on a survey of executives in at least 25 agribusinesses from various subsectors last month, the index showed improvements in nine of its 10 categories including turnover, operating income, fixed investment and general agricultural conditions. AgBiz attributed farmers’ optimism to a combination of factors, citing higher exports last year on improved port efficiency, progress in controlling animal diseases and La Niña rains, which drove a recovery in the industry after a challenging season of drought. The figure has shown that the mood in the local industry is upbeat, said AgBiz chief economist Wandile Sihlobo, despite mounting fears over the damage t…

SA farmers and agribusinesses are in a pensive mood South Africa’s agricultural sector boasts impressive export figures and job growth, yet farmers fear global instability, disease outbreaks and rising input costs. By Wandile Sihlobo 21 Jun 2026 Wandile Sihlobo is the Presidential Envoy on Agriculture and Land. He is also the chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa and a senior research fellow in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University. Dive Deeper Speed Read Listen Dive Deeper The mood among South African farmers and agribusinesses remains downbeat. To some, this may come as a surprise, as the sector recently posted positive economic performance. For example, in the first quarter of 2026, South Africa’s agricultural exports totalled $3.7-billion, up 11% from the same period a year ago. Better exports were a function of both higher export volumes across various products and higher commodity prices. We have had favourable production conditions for field crops. For example, in the current 2025-26 production season, South Africa expects a record summer grain and oilseed harvest of 21.1 million tonnes, up 3% year on year. This p…

South Africa: SA Farmers and Agribusinesses Are in a Pensive Mood [Daily Maverick] South Africa's agricultural sector boasts impressive export figures and job growth, yet farmers fear global instability, disease outbreaks and rising input costs.

WANDILE SIHLOBO | Subdued sentiment in agriculture sector despite some ... The mood among South African farmers and agribusinesses remains downbeat. To some, this may come as a surprise, as the sector recently posted some positive economic performance. For example, in the first quarter of 2026, SA’s agricultural exports totalled $3.7bn (R60.4bn), up 11% from the same period a year ago. Better exports were a function of both higher export volumes across various products and higher commodity prices. We have had favourable production conditions for field crops. For example, in the current 2025/2026 production season, SA expects a record summer grain and oilseed harvest of 21.1-million tonnes, up 3% year on year. This production figure comprises maize, sunflower seed, soybean, groundnuts, sorghum and dry beans. The poultry industry is also performing well and benefiting from affordable feed (maize and soybean prices are down 10-30% from a year ago). We also see robust volumes in fruit and vegetables, though in the second quarter of the year, we saw a slight impact of the recent floods on the sector. Most notably, the GDP data continues to show strong performance in agriculture. The ag…

South Africa: SA Farmers and Agribusinesses Are in a Pensive Mood South Africa's agricultural sector boasts impressive export figures and job growth, yet farmers fear global instability, disease outbreaks and rising input costs. The mood among South African farmers and agribusinesses remains downbeat. To some, this may come as a surprise, as the sector recently posted positive economic performance. For example, in the first quarter of 2026, South Africa's agricultural exports totalled $3.7-billion, up 11% from the same period a year ago. Better exports were a function of both higher export volumes across various products and higher commodity prices. We have had favourable production conditions for field crops. For example, in the current 2025-26 production season, South Africa expects a record summer grain and oilseed harvest of 21.1 million tonnes, up 3% year on year. This production figure comprises maize, sunflower seed, soybean, groundnuts, sorghum and dry beans. Keep up with the latest headlines onWhatsApp|LinkedIn The poultry industry is also performing well and benefiting from affordable feed (maize and soybean prices are down by 10%-30% from a year ago). We also see …

FMD, Global Price Drops Fuel Pessimism in South African Agribusiness Home Biz-Econ Macroeconomics FMD, Global Price Drops Fuel Pessimism in South African Agribusiness Macroeconomics FMD, Global Price Drops Fuel Pessimism in South African Agribusiness By Publisher June 18, 2026 0 4 Share Facebook X Pinterest WhatsApp “South Africa’s Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index fell to 45 points in Q2 2026 , reflecting pessimism across the agricultural economy. The decline is fueled by the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease crisis , falling global sugar and wheat prices, and fears of El Niño weather disruptions .” South Africa’s agricultural sector is facing mounting macroeconomic pressures, as revealed by the latest Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) . Released on June 18, 2026, the index dropped to 45 points in Q2 2026 , marking its lowest level since 2024 and underscoring the pessimism gripping agribusiness leaders. This decline follows an 18-point fall in Q1, highlighting a sustained downward trajectory in sentiment. At the heart of this downturn lies the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) crisis , which continues to impose severe financial strain on the cattle industry. Despite acc…

SA farmers and agribusinesses are in a pensive mood - Daily Maverick South Africa’s agricultural sector boasts impressive export figures and job growth, yet farmers fear global instability, disease outbreaks and rising input costs. By Wandile Sihlobo 21 Jun 2026 Wandile Sihlobo is the Presidential Envoy on Agriculture and Land. He is also the chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa and a senior research fellow in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University. Dive Deeper Speed Read Listen Dive Deeper The mood among South African farmers and agribusinesses remains downbeat. To some, this may come as a surprise, as the sector recently posted positive economic performance. For example, in the first quarter of 2026, South Africa’s agricultural exports totalled $3.7-billion, up 11% from the same period a year ago. Better exports were a function of both higher export volumes across various products and higher commodity prices. We have had favourable production conditions for field crops. For example, in the current 2025-26 production season, South Africa expects a record summer grain and oilseed harvest of 21.1 million tonnes, up 3% yea…