New 'agricultural conditions committee' to assist the sector in better understanding farming conditions

Stephen Grootes interviews Dr Kobus Laubscher, agricultural economist.

Listen to the interview in the audio below.

The South African agricultural sector is launching a new initiative to provide high-frequency data on farming production, to gain more insight into the industry.

The decision to initiate an Agricultural Conditions Committee follows a surprise contraction in the sector in the third quarter of 2024.

The farming sector contracted 15.5% in the first nine months of the year and 28.8% in the third quarter 

Speaking to Stephen Grootes on The Money Show, agricultural economist Dr Kobus Laubscher says the role of the committee would assist farmers with high frequency data about agricultural conditions, and provide insights into the operating conditions of farmers.

"What we now see is that it's a collaboration in terms of a partnership between the private sector and government to get behind the truth of what is happening."

- Dr Kobus Laubscher, agricultural economist

"You can only measure what you really know, so I think we can count on more transparency, more reliable data coming from farmers."

- Dr Kobus Laubscher, agricultural economist

"... And I'm very confident that we'll now be able to get the truth, not that I think it was deliberately miscalculated. It may be an old-fashioned, or an old view of how to treat it. And with the new dispensation we'd definitely see a change and that is very welcomed."

- Dr Kobus Laubscher, agricultural economist

Scroll to the top of the article to listen to the full interview.