South Africa's farm sector cannot keep growing by relying on farmers to make up for government failures, and public funding and agricultural policy should be judged by the results they deliver. That was the message of a panel at AgriSA's annual congress, held at the Irene Country Hotel in Gauteng on 14 October and moderated by journalist Qaanitah Hunter.
Agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo rejected the idea that farming could prosper without the state. "There is no country that can actually have its agriculture sector, or any exporting industry, succeeding without the government being involved," he said. South Africa's farm output has more than doubled since 1994, he noted, and agricultural exports rose from about US$2 billion (about R33 billion) in 2000 to US$15.1 billion (R248 billion) in 2025. That growth also depended on government negotiating trade agreements, registering farm technologies and keeping markets open, so the real question, he argued, is whether the state is doing those jobs well.
Broadcaster Lourensa Eckard said farmers had become resilient because they had to be, with far less support than their European counterparts receive, but warned that resilience is not an unlimited capacity to absorb new costs. Farmers in remote areas often feel isolated and poorly represented, she said, and may turn to individual fixes rather than collective ones. Land transfers and grants alone cannot make emerging farmers succeed if broken roads and dysfunctional ports stop their produce reaching market. "It's unsustainable. It's completely unsustainable," she said of a country where those who can afford it buy their own security, schooling and services.
On who should fix the gaps, Sihlobo backed public-private partnerships but warned that private bodies taking over state functions without safeguards could raise questions of accountability and influence over policy. He proposed using institutions such as the National Agricultural Marketing Council for structured talks between government and industry, and cautioned against describing the country's farm institutions as in total collapse, which he said could deter investment.
Eckard called for more attention to whether grants, land reform and other support actually raise production and jobs, and suggested tax incentives that reward productive farming. Sihlobo listed affordable finance, land, skills and modern technology as the essentials for expansion and supported more blended finance, including through the Land Bank, while saying finance alone does not make a viable commercial farmer. He said the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan already provides the framework; what is missing is implementation.
Both speakers pointed to municipalities. Eckard described local service delivery as critical to rural economies, while Sihlobo singled out municipal fresh produce markets as infrastructure that needs urgent attention for market access and food security. On organised agriculture, Eckard said its bodies "don't have a democratic mandate" and cannot be held responsible for roads or ports, but must stay accountable to their members; Sihlobo said umbrella organisations such as AgriSA can help consolidate the industry's positions before government.
The congress report was written by Hanlie du Plessis for Farmer's Weekly.
Source: Farmers Weekly South Africa
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