Would exclusion from AGOA be catastrophic

In this episode of AgriView with Wandile, Wandile Sihlobo examines the pressure on the table grape industry as the new export season gets underway, highlighting ongoing challenges at the Port of Cape Town and the need for improved road infrastructure to ensure that quality produce reaches international markets efficiently.

With approximately 78.4 million cartons of table grapes inspected for export, reliable logistics will be critical to protecting farmers’ profitability and supporting rural economies. Wandile also unpacks the debate around South Africa’s future in AGOA, which provides eligible African countries with preferential access to the US market.

While losing this access would create challenges for several agricultural industries, including citrus, wine, grapes, nuts and raisins, would exclusion really be catastrophic? He explores the potential tariff implications, the importance of maintaining competitiveness through product quality, and the need to diversify export markets without underestimating the time this requires.