According to Dr Thulasizwe Mkhabela, Group Executive, Impact and Partnerships at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), South African agriculture needs more investment and the implementation of the latest technology to boost output, not only for local consumption, but also for vitally needed exports to boost foreign exchange earnings. “This can be accomplished through an increase in research and development (R&D) investment”, says Mkhabela.
Opportunities to increase exports exist provided they conform to international standards such as traceability.
Speaking at the Africa Agri Tech Conference and Expo in Pretoria he said that current overall expenditure on R&D in South Africa was only R32bn a year, which equates to 0.8% of GDP.
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The South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) coordinates industry interventions and collaboratively manages risks in the value chain to enable the sustainability and profitability of pork producers in South Africa.
