Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
SA farmers punch-drunk from politics and production costs
As tenacious a boxer as he was, even Muhammad Ali succumbed to the repeated blows of his opponents in five of his 61 career fights.
I’m not a boxing fan, but even
I know how tough Ali was. And when my editor tasked me with writing about my thoughts on the South African agriculture sector’s fortunes during 2018, the first thought that came to mind was how many of our farmers must be feeling proverbially punch-drunk with the seemingly never-ending obstacles they have faced this past year.
For commercial farmers, one of these obstacles is the persistent uncertainty, and perhaps even real fear, that the amendment to the Constitution to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation has created.
Most commercial farmers agree that the injustices of the past must be addressed, and simple economic principles support this.
However, land reform cannot be successfully achieved through action that is highly likely to irreparably cripple the country’s economy.
Increasing production costs, such as the cost of diesel, have also been challenging for farmers, and have resulted in diminished profits that have affected all farmers across all scales of production in 2018.
It has also not become apparent where farmers can further cut their already drum-tight production costs without going out of business. I know that this is not an uplifting piece, and I haven’t enjoyed writing it. I’m simply stating the facts as I’ve experienced them.
However, the international reputation that South Africa’s farmers have of being a hard-working, resilient, determined and innovative bunch is spot on. Those in our country who do not farm, like me, desperately need you.
Don’t give up. This is Africa, where we frequently face mighty thunderstorms that may scare us, but we almost always get to enjoy the magnificent rainbows that follow.