South African agricultural organisation AgriSA has called on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to use the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement to be tabled at the meeting on 21 October to sustain agricultural output by addressing infrastructure bottlenecks and animal health constraints that hamper further expansion.
Specifically, the organisation is calling for temporary diesel relief, sustained funding for the Land Bank, ongoing procurement and distribution of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines, rehabilitation of flood-damaged assets and dedicated funding for El Niño response plans.
According to John Kotze, chief executive of AgriSA, the MTBPS must reinforce the foundational systems through which agricultural investment delivers full economic returns: linking farms to markets, rolling out water infrastructure, enabling efficient movement of produce through ports and deploying veterinary services for disease control.
Since 2012, agriculture has posted average annual growth of 3%, compared with less than 1% for the broader economy. Sustaining this contribution, he argues, requires targeted support through tough production cycles alongside investment in public systems that enable farmers to scale up, create jobs and export.
Rising off-farm costs, nevertheless, pose a material risk to the competitiveness of the horticulture sector. Higher production volumes will not translate into durable growth if unreliable power, damaged roads and port delays erode the returns needed to fund follow-up investment.
Flood recovery therefore needs to form an integral component of agricultural growth plans. AgriSA states that government should prioritise repairs to roads, bridges, irrigation networks, dams and electricity infrastructure in regions hit by floods earlier this year.
Allocations must clearly identify the infrastructure requiring restoration and assign accountable authorities. Repairs should incorporate maintenance and upgrades to reduce vulnerability to future extreme weather events, the report adds.
The economic fallout from flooding extends beyond individual farms. Damaged bridges push up transport costs across entire production zones, while impaired irrigation infrastructure jeopardises future harvests. Unreliable export routes, the organisation notes, also erode the value of perishable crops after farmers have incurred production costs.
AgriSA further advocates investment in regions where limited infrastructure restricts untapped agricultural potential. New agricultural producers require development finance, land, alongside dependable water, power and market connectivity to build viable enterprises.
The group also urges urgent action on El Niño preparedness and foot-and-mouth disease control, together with progress on infrastructure, market access and institutional reforms that shape agriculture’s long-term outlook.
“Temporary relief helps farmers navigate the coming season. Reliable infrastructure and effective animal health services give them confidence to invest beyond that horizon. The budget should connect these two objectives through clear allocations, delivery plans and accountability,” said Kotze.