The Xchange Platform Agricultural Market Viewpoint with Wandile Sihlobo

La Niña prospects in the upcoming 2024/25 season are a welcome development

Loading player...
After a challenging El Niño induced drought season in 2023/24 summer, South Africa’s agriculture may get a relief in the upcoming 2024/25 summer season.

Early indications of weather prospects are encouraging, showing a firm likelihood of a La Niña occurrence. The International Research Institute for Climate Change and Society at Columbia University places the probability of a La Niña occurrence at over 50% between now and April 2025. Such weather events typically bring above-average rainfall across South Africa and the entire Southern region.

There is hope that after a challenging 2023/24 summer production season, South Africa could transition into a favourable agricultural season, similar to what we experienced four seasons before the 2023/24 season.

Given that South Africa had one of the most prolonged periods of La Niña induced rains, from the 2019/20 season to the 2022/23 season, the news of an end to the 2023/24 season El Niño is a welcome development.

Listen to the podcast for more information.

Podcast production by Lwandiso Gwarubana, Richard Humphries, and Sam Mkokeli

My writing on agricultural economic matters is available on my blog: https://wandilesihlobo.com/
15 Jul 2024 English South Africa Investing · Food

Other recent episodes

Will China open up for more agricultural products from South Africa?

We are yet to receive more details on China's intentions to lower import tariffs for various African countries. What is worth emphasising for now is that, from a South African agricultural perspective, this would be a welcome development. China has profound importance in global agriculture. In 2023, China was a…
13 Jun 10 min

South Africa's agricultural exports up 10% in the first quarter of 2025

In a year where trade has dominated the headlines since the U.S. started imposing higher tariffs against its trading partners, agricultural export activity is worth paying close attention to. Encouragingly, the start of the year has remained positive for the sector. In the first quarter of 2025, South Africa's agricultural…
6 Jun 10 min

Southern Africa's grain production rebounds

The Southern Africa region is far better regarding food supplies today than a year ago. For example, Zambia's 2024-25 maize crop has bounced back. The government forecasts the harvest to be 3,66 million tonnes, up from 1,5 million tonnes the previous season. This is because of favourable weather conditions and…
30 May 12 min

South African farms are not under siege

One of the themes that dominated the White House Press session this evening was agriculture – the idea that the farming sector in South Africa is under siege and people are running away. But this could be no further than reality. The South African farming sector or farming community is…
23 May 12 min

South Africa cushioned the southern Africa region from a maize supply crisis

At the end of April, we completed South Africa's 2024-25 marketing year for maize. This marketing year corresponds with the 2023-24 production season, which was challenged by the mid-summer drought and led to the 22% decline in South Africa’s maize harvest to 12,85 million tonnes. The big help in that…
15 May 13 min
All episodes