Latest news with #TradeMap
IOL News
3 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Agribusiness Confidence Index shows slight decline amid global uncertainties
Agricultural Business Chamber said that despite the slight decline, the current level of the ACI, implies that South African agribusinesses remain optimistic about business conditions in the country Image: Supplied South Africa's Agricultural Business Confidence Index (ACI) edged down by five points to 65 in the second quarter, reflecting a slight dip in sentiment across the agribusiness sector, the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) said on Wednesday. The chamber noted that concerns over global trade uncertainty, persistent geopolitical tensions, and ongoing domestic animal disease outbreaks were among the main factors weighing on industry confidence. "Despite the slight decline, the current level of the ACI, implies that South African agribusinesses remain optimistic about business conditions in the country," said Wandile Sihlobo, the chief economist at Agbiz. 'The better summer rains and improvements at the ports which have enabled exports with minimal interruptions, are some of the positives. This survey was conducted in the second week of June, covering various agribusinesses operating in all agricultural subsectors across South Africa." The ACI comprises ten subindices; six of them declined in quarter two, while the rest remained unchanged. The turnover subindex confidence was down by 5 points to 55. There was a deterioration in sentiment among agribusinesses operating in the red meat sector, while others maintained a roughly unchanged view from the previous quarter. Similarly, the net operating income subindex fell by 5 points to 65 points. The drivers were the same as the turnover. The sub-index measuring export sentiment volume fell by 40 points to 60. Sihlobo said, 'This is still a relatively favourable level. For example, in quarter one, South Africa's agricultural exports totalled $3.36 billion (R54 billion), up 10% from the same period a year ago, according to data from Trade Map. Thus, the decline in sentiment in quarter two is a normalisation.' The general economic conditions subindex fell by 15 points to 50 in quarter two. "This indicates concerns about growth prospects this year due to both domestic and global constraints. The market share of the agribusiness subindex fell by 5 to 65 points in quarter two," Sihlobo said. "Most respondents maintained an essentially unchanged view, which enabled the high base to lead to a mild decline in sentiment.' Sihlobo said the second-quarter ACI results for 2025 reflect an overall optimistic sentiment in the agricultural sector, with expectations of a recovery continuing through the year. However, he cautioned that the rebound is likely to be uneven, as certain key subsectors remain under pressure from ongoing animal disease outbreaks. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ "The dominance of geopolitical concerns amongst respondents' views illustrates South Africa's agricultural sector's strong dependence on export markets and the need to work to diversify markets," Sihlobo noted. 'China, India, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt are among the key markets we should expand into.' Francois Rossouw, the CEO of Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai), said the slight decline in the ACI is understandable given the pressures facing the sector. 'While confidence remains in positive territory, ongoing threats like foot-and-mouth disease, amongst others, continue to weigh heavily on the red meat industry. Globally, escalating geopolitical tensions and uncertainty over key trade relationships- especially with major partners like the United States, raise concerns for export-driven agribusinesses," he said. These dynamics, alongside regional conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East create planning difficulties for producers. 'While confidence remains resilient overall, strengthening biosecurity and maintaining stable, trade-friendly diplomacy will be essential to support continued recovery,' Rossouw said. TLU SA general manager, Bennie van Zyl, is in agreement with most of the findings of ACI by Agbiz. 'It must be noted that the agricultural sector is in a fluctuation of seasonal realities especially with rain. Some years we have better rain , some years we have late rain and some years we have no rain," Van Zyl said, "This is something that has a huge influence on the climatic side of the agricultural sector. There's also the impact of crime on the agriculture sector such as produce theft and theft of cattle which is stock theft.'
The Herald
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald
SA's agricultural exports surge by 10% in Q1
In a year where trade has dominated the headlines since the US 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, SA's agricultural exports totalled $3.36bn (R59.5bn), up 10% from the same period a year ago, according to data from Trade Map. This is a function of both higher volumes of various product exports and better commodity prices. The products that dominated the exports list in the first quarter were mainly grapes, maize, apples, pears, apricots, cherries, peaches, wine, wool, fruit juices, nuts, dates, avocados, pineapples, and beef, among other products. While the ports remain a challenge and require further improvement and investment, the agricultural export season in the first quarter experienced less friction than in the recent past. From a regional perspective, the African continent maintained the lion's share of SA's agricultural exports in the first quarter of 2025, accounting for 45% of the total value. The products leading the exports list in the African continent were maize, maize meal, sugar, apples and pears, fruit juices, wine, soybean oil, sunflower oil, oilcake, and wheat, among other products. The EU was SA's second-largest agricultural market, accounting for a 23% share. Grapes, apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines, wine, apples, pears, wool, dates, figs, pineapples, avocados, mangos, guavas, fruit juices, and nuts were among the primary agricultural products SA exported to the EU in the first quarter of 2025. As a collective, Asia and the Middle East were the third largest agricultural markets, accounting for 16% of the total agricultural exports in the first quarter of 2025. The exports to this region primarily included apples, pears, grapes, apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines, citrus, strawberries, nuts, beef, lamb and wool, among other products. The Americas region accounted for 6% of SA's agricultural exports in the first quarter of the year. The main exported products include grapes, apricots, cherries, wine, fruit juices, nuts, apples, pears, and citrus. Given ongoing concerns about SA's participation in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) trade arrangement and the current higher tariffs imposed by the US, it is worth highlighting that SA's agricultural exports to the US were still 4% in the first quarter of 2025 (which is part of the 6% of exports to the Americas region mentioned above). The rest of the world, including the UK, accounted for 10% of SA agricultural exports in the first quarter of 2025. SA does not engage in one-way trade. The country imports various agricultural products. In the first quarter of 2025, SA's agricultural imports totalled $1.94bn (R34bn), a 19% increase year-over-year, according to data from Trade Map. The increase resulted from higher value and volume of major products SA imports, such as wheat, palm oil, rice, poultry, and whiskies. As we have argued before, SA lacks favourable climatic conditions for growing rice and palm oil and thus relies on imports of these products. Regarding wheat, SA imports nearly half of the annual consumption. Meanwhile, imports account for about 20% of the annual domestic poultry consumption. Given the current ban on Brazil's poultry imports, we may see an increase in volume from other regions, or a recovery in domestic production, as the local producers indicate. Subsequently, when we account for the exports and imports, SA's agriculture sector recorded a trade surplus of $1.42bn (R25bn) in the first quarter of 2025, down 1% from the previous year. In the current environment of heightened geoeconomic tensions, SA's export-orientated agricultural sector must work to maintain its current export markets and expand into new ones. The focus for both policymakers and agribusinesses and organised agriculture should be on the following aspects: First, SA should maintain its focus on improving logistical efficiency. This entails investments in port and rail infrastructure, as well as improving roads in farming towns. Second, SA must work diligently to maintain its existing markets in the EU, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas. Lastly, SA should expand market access to some key Brics countries, such as China, India, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Wandile Sihlobo is the chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of SA.
Daily Maverick
02-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
SA farm exports to US rise 19% in Q1, a green sprout amid frosty diplomacy
An important point that emerges from this data is that if the fictional 'white genocide' and land seizures of Trump's imagination were actually unfolding, then South African commercial farmers – who are mostly white – would not be in a position to grow their exports to markets such as the US. South Africa's agricultural exports to the US increased 19% in the first quarter (Q1) of this year compared with the same period in 2024, according to data from Trade Map, which was crunched by the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) and released on Monday. It is an interesting trend that highlights several important points against the backdrop of a frosty diplomatic landscape amid US President Donald Trump's false claims about a 'white genocide' and the ruthless persecution of white farmers, which was on full display during his recent White House meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. For starters, as South Africa faces the prospect of exclusion from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) – which provides preferential treatment to the US market for eligible countries – it is clear that there is American demand for agricultural products grown or made here. Specifically, these products are mainly citrus, grapes, wine, and fruit juices – South African products that could surely grow in the massive US market. Some might see America as a fairly small market in the broader scheme of things, with the 19% year-on-year rise in Q1 only amounting to $202-million – 6% of all South African agricultural exports in that period, which grew 10% to $3.36-billion. But 6% is material: this slow-growth, high-unemployment economy needs to pluck any fruit it can – and this stuff is low-hanging. Americans love citrus and fruit juice, a point underscored by the fact that global prices for these products are heavily influenced by the New York-based OJ futures market. Another important point that emerges from this data is that if the fictional 'white genocide' and land seizures of Trump's imagination were actually unfolding, then South African commercial farmers – who are mostly white – would not be in a position to grow their exports to markets such as the US. What this means: South Africa's commercial agricultural sector is a budding rose among the thorns of this moribund economy. It needs continued access to markets such as the US to grow and create badly needed jobs and investment opportunities while bringing in export revenue to help support the rand. South African farmers can find other markets, but the US, as the world's largest economy, remains the big prize. This does not mean that South Africa's agricultural sector isn't facing a range of serious political, economic and environmental challenges. The Expropriation Act is a red flag for South Africa's commercial farmers and investors more widely. That there are still glaring disparities in ownership – with only about 25% of farmland now in the hands of black South Africans, according to Agbiz estimates – is largely a reflection of state failure and dithering, corruption and incompetence under the ANC. Still, even in the face of other challenges such as climate change, South Africa's agricultural sector is prospering, a narrative at odds with Trump's view that a Zimbabwe-style mass land grab is under way. Americans clearly want to drink South African wine and fruit juice, and farmers here can meet that demand. Instead, Trump's racist resentment threatens to reap a bitter harvest from what should be fields of hope. BM
Business Recorder
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Empowering women entrepreneurs in Pakistan: TDAP organises workshop on market analysis tools in Sialkot
SIALKOT: Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), Women Entrepreneur Division, in collaboration with Sialkot Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry, successfully organized a hands-on training workshop on 'Market Analysis Tools – Trade Map' on 22nd May 2025 in Sialkot. This initiative aimed to strengthen the export potential of women entrepreneurs by equipping them with practical skills to analyze international markets using the International Trade Centre's (ITC) Trade Map, which is a widely used resource for market intelligence, competitor benchmarking, and export planning. The session was conducted by Mahina Ghalib, Deputy Director, TDAP, and featured an in-depth exploration of HS Codes and Trade Map functionalities, followed by practical training to help participants identify export destinations, track global trade flows, and assess market demand. Participants were also provided with manuals and resources to deepen their understanding of the platform beyond the session. Around 30 entrepreneurs took part in the training, engaging actively in discussions and exercises. The interactive nature of the workshop encouraged questions and personalized feedback, ensuring participants walked away with relevant and applicable knowledge. This workshop is part of TDAP's ongoing, targeted capacity-building series for women entrepreneurs. Following the successful trainings in Faisalabad and Sialkot, the next session in this series is scheduled to be held in Lahore. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Empowering women entrepreneurs: TDAP organises workshop on market analysis tools in Sialkot
SIALKOT: Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), Women Entrepreneur Division, in collaboration with Sialkot Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry, successfully organized a hands-on training workshop on 'Market Analysis Tools – Trade Map' on 22nd May 2025 in Sialkot. This initiative aimed to strengthen the export potential of women entrepreneurs by equipping them with practical skills to analyze international markets using the International Trade Centre's (ITC) Trade Map, which is a widely used resource for market intelligence, competitor benchmarking, and export planning. The session was conducted by Mahina Ghalib, Deputy Director, TDAP, and featured an in-depth exploration of HS Codes and Trade Map functionalities, followed by practical training to help participants identify export destinations, track global trade flows, and assess market demand. Participants were also provided with manuals and resources to deepen their understanding of the platform beyond the session. Around 30 entrepreneurs took part in the training, engaging actively in discussions and exercises. The interactive nature of the workshop encouraged questions and personalized feedback, ensuring participants walked away with relevant and applicable knowledge. This workshop is part of TDAP's ongoing, targeted capacity-building series for women entrepreneurs. Following the successful trainings in Faisalabad and Sialkot, the next session in this series is scheduled to be held in Lahore. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
