Sustainable Inputs Drive South Africa’s Quest for Thriving Ag Market

Apricots are among the high-value specialty crops that have seen in increase in the use of biologicals.

Apricots are among the high-value specialty crops that have seen in increase in the use of biologicals. Photo courtesy: Neville Nel

For South Africa’s agricultural producers, the way forward demands that the value chain align with the broader quest for more sustainable inputs and the public’s scrutiny of production systems. It’s only natural for the country, as one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse ag producers, to evolve as a hub of modern inputs.

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Agriculture comprises 2.7% of South Africa’s GDP, employs 4.6% of its labor force of 22.2 million (of its 59-million-strong population), and is dominated by production of corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, and vegetables, according to the latest statistics (2017) available from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook.

South Africa is also the largest exporter of agricultural products in Africa, primarily of citrus, wine, fruits, and corn. In 2018, exports of agricultural products totaled U.S. $9.8 billion, up 6% from the previous year, according to the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

Increased research and development investments are expected to help drive a 6.1% climb in South Africa’s crop protection market through 2022, on a consolidated annual growth rate basis, as forecast by Ken Research.

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Kleffmann Group’s Dr. Bob Fairclough, at the 2019 AgriBusiness Global Trade SummitSM in Atlantic City, New Jersey, also remarked that South Africa’s crop protection market proved one of the bright spots in the otherwise flat to slightly down Africa-Middle East region, driven by higher volume of corn, cereals, and sunflower production. Glyphosate, metolachlor, and 2,4-D comprise the lion’s share of herbicide use for cereals production.

No technical is produced in the country, and therefore, Chinese manufacturers claim the largest share at 26% of imports by value, followed by U.S., French, and German companies, according to Ken Research. Imports of active ingredients, particularly of herbicides and insecticides, are expected to grow due to increasing population, heightened focus on food security, and higher number of pests.

Biopesticides, like in many developed ag economies, are in the nascent stage in South Africa and present untapped growth in Integrated Pest Management programs. Important export markets, most notably Europe, require stringent maximum residue limit (MRL) standards, which has increased buzz around and adoption of biosolutions. Local markets have also gained relevance, and supermarkets are driving the push for reduced residues in the country, one source said.

Biologicals have easily outpaced growth of conventional pesticides in recent years, and that trend is expected to continue, according to the South African Bioproducts Organisation (SABO). For high-value specialty crops — grapes, pome, citrus, and stone fruits — they are especially critical. “There is a gradual increase in use of biological solutions, especially by export growers, although application of conventional chemistry still plays a significant role in crop production,” Jaco Marais, Chairman of SABO, tells AgriBusiness Global.

He explains that the expansion includes biocontrols, biostimulants, and biofertilizers, and that it isn’t just residue limits driving the market, but also pest resistance management, and the trend towards better quality and quantity in food production and ensuring a sustainable environment.

“We are still in the initial phases of an integrated approach, with practical limitations towards biological only,” says Marais. “However, over the next five to seven years, a significant change in modus operandi may occur with exponential growth in use and integration of biological products as part of cultivation practices. The future is very positive for the biological industry.”

Changing MRLs are such an issue that CropLife South Africa this year invested in AgriIntel, a comprehensive database that helps farmers find suitable, registered plant protection products as well as “MRL data for each crop, pesticide, and export destination, including retailer requirements.”

Taking the EU as an example, the MRL for iprodione on grapes used to be 20mg/kg. The new limit is 0.1mg/kg. If producers have not adjusted their crop protection programs accordingly, they will not be able to export their fresh produce. Another example is the MRL of fenbutatin oxide on citrus, which changed from 5mg/kg to 0.01mg/kg. Both grapes and citrus contribute to the largest South African agricultural exports by value.

“While these fluctuations are notable, the change can sometimes be minute, yet big enough for produce to get rejected, as in the case of the MRL for penconazole on pome fruit, which changed from 0.2mg/kg to 0.15 mg/kg,” according to CropLife South Africa.

Another opportunity where biologicals can play role is food security: South African farmers are looking to biopesticides as a solution for the fall armyworm pest, (Spodoptera frugiperda), which has caused billions of dollars in damage to staple crops such as maize, sugarcane, sorghum, and others across 12 African countries including South Africa.

The Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International, known as CABI, is strengthening phytosanitary systems across Africa, and also identifying and validating low-risk technical solutions against fall armyworm such as biological control using the pest’s natural enemies, biopesticides, biorationals, and other low-cost cultural control solutions.

In one published study, CABI looked at 50 biopesticide active ingredients (AI) registered in one or more of the 30 study countries for fall armyworm management. Of these AI, CABI recommended 23 for further consideration and eight have been identified for short-term action, including Neem, Bt, spinosad, oxymatrine, sex pheromones, Trichogramma spp, and others — all of which are registered for use within sub-Saharan Africa.

Andermatt Biocontrol’s South African-based subsidiary Plant Health Products, recently launched a novel insecticide based on Metharizium rileyi, which infects and controls Lepidopteran insect pests, especially those of the Noctuidae family including fall armyworm.

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