South Africa’s Farms Are Flourishing, But the Livestock Sector Is Fighting for Survival

South Africa’s agricultural sector in 2025 looks like two stories unfolding at once, one hopeful, one deeply worrying.

On the one side, crop and fruit farmers are smiling. Thanks to generous summer rains, fields across the country are bursting with maize, wheat, vegetables and export-grade fruit. The industry is tracking one of its strongest harvests in recent years, with grain and oilseed output estimated at 19.5 million tonnes, a massive 26% increase year-on-year.

But drive past the pastures and feedlots, and it’s a different picture. Livestock farmers are still in crisis, trapped in a long war with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and avian flu, which continue to erode profits, disrupt trade, and dampen confidence.

South African agriculture isn’t sinking, but it’s recovering unevenly.

Crops Surge Ahead, “The Rains Saved Us”

Chief economist at Agbiz, Wandile Sihlobo, says high-frequency data shows a clear rebound in field crops, fresh produce, and fruit orchards.

“We’re seeing a robust recovery in crops and horticulture. The rains gave us a good season,” he noted.

That growth is reflected in the official figures too, Stats SA recorded a 2.5% rise in agricultural GDP in Q2, cooling off from a massive 18.6% boom in Q1. But Sihlobo says the dip is purely seasonal.

“Harvests were delayed, much of what we expected in Q2 will only show in Q3,” he explained.

Optimism is still alive in the farming sector, the Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index sits at 63, which signals continued positivity, even if slightly lower than earlier in the year.

Meanwhile, Livestock Farmers Are Still in the Trenches

Foot-and-mouth disease remains public enemy number one for cattle and red meat producers. FNB agriculture head Dawie Maree describes FMD as an “economic disease”, harmless to consumers but financially devastating for farmers.

“It hits profitability hard. The meat remains safe for people, but the cost of controlling outbreaks is enormous.”

And the problem isn’t just persistence, it’s unpredictability.

Francois Rossouw, CEO of Saai, says government updates still don’t fully reveal how widespread FMD is.

“New cases in KZN and the Free State even into July show that containment is far from complete. We don’t yet have a full map of the virus’ spread.”

Vaccines Are Here, But Are They Enough?

Government launched a vaccination rollout in mid-2025, using local manufacturer Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP). But questions remain:

• Will vaccine supply match the scale of outbreaks?

• Can officials repeat vaccinations effectively across provinces?

• Is there enough budget to sustain long-term protection?

Without these answers, farmers are left hoping, but not fully trusting, that help will hold.

A Sector Split in Two, Yet Still Standing

South African agriculture is no stranger to adversity. Load shedding, drought, fuel prices, farmers have faced them all. But having one sub-sector thriving while another limps along is creating an uneasy imbalance.

Still, one truth holds firm:
🌽 Grains are carrying the economy,
🥩 but livestock is carrying the risk.

The industry remains cautiously upbeat, but its success now depends on whether animal health systems can catch up with crop performance.

Because in South Africa, agriculture isn’t just an industry, it’s food security, jobs, and rural survival.

And no harvest, no matter how abundant, can make up for a broken herd.

{Source: IOL}

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