In political economics there is something called “flooding the zone”. Roughly explained, this is when there is a deluge of information that takes people’s attention away from what should be prioritised. This is not helped by the fact that during crisis periods there is a proliferation of “experts” with untested opinions.
We saw this snake-oil behaviour during the Covid-19 pandemic. The current environment has its fair share of instantaneous trade policy “expertise”. In SA’s agriculture, we are fortunately not under such an attack through a flood of information. Still, we must continuously be vigilant and reflect thoughtfully on risks affecting the sector.
In recent weeks the focus has primarily been on trade matters and the US tariffs — understandably so, since the US is a valuable market for SA’s agriculture. The US reciprocal tariffs have been imposed during the citrus industry's export season, so our focus on these issues should be paramount.
Equally, concerns about the sustainability of the government of national unity (GNU), and the fiscal problems that dominate the domestic conversation, are warranted as these place SA’s political future and economic renewal under a stark spotlight.
Yet we must not allow other important domestic issues affecting the sector to be drowned by political noise. One such area is the continuous effort to control animal diseases.
SA has made enormous progress following challenging years of avian flu, African swine fever and foot and mouth disease. However, we continue to learn about foot and mouth disease outbreaks in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and some lingering cases in the Eastern Cape. This means animal health should remain a priority for SA agricultural authorities and organised agriculture.
Equally, while SA does not suffer from the rife avian flu we are witnessing in the US and parts of the UK, there should be increased work to prepare the sector for potential outbreaks. This would involve learning from the last outbreak and registering the vaccines the poultry producers have been calling for.
Admittedly, we cannot know the future. Still, ensuring that SA’s regulators are agile is key. The poultry industry and egg producers are vital to food security and the vitality of some of SA’s small towns. We should therefore take note of the challenges the US has faced with animal diseases, as well as calls for agility in vaccine registration, and move faster.
The poultry and livestock industries account for roughly half of SA’s farming economy. Thus, ensuring the efficient operation of this subsector is key to the success and growth of the SA farming economy. If SA succeeds in resolving and preparing for the animal disease challenges, the subsector will be on a better path in some of its operational conditions.
Last year, the resumption of various export markets also ensured that SA continued to build its exports of red meat and livestock products. To sustain this momentum, continuous collaboration between government and organised agriculture on animal health is vital. In addition to animal health matters, the SA authorities must focus on livestock theft, which remains a challenge in some communities and financially burdens farmers.
Overall, while we must focus on significant themes shaping the country and the global environment, officials at various government departments and industry groups must not lose sight of the importance of the day-to-day operational matters that are key to the success of agriculture. Animal health is one such aspect that requires consistent focus.
• Sihlobo is chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of SA and an extraordinary senior lecturer in Stellenbosch University’s department of agricultural economics.
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