PLETTENBERG BAY, WESTERN CAPE - As the heatwave continues to grip the country, it's potential impacts on the agriculture sector remains a concern.
Meteorologists are predicting that South Africa could experience its hottest summer on record.
This comes as 2024 is set to become the hottest year globally since reliable measurements began.
The Southern Africa region endured a heavy drought in the 2023-24 season, which led to massive crop failures.
Grains and oilseeds harvest in South Africa fell by 23% year-on-year, Zimbabwe’s maize crop declined by 60%, and Zambia’s maize crop fell by half.
So, how does the agriculture sector mitigate these conditions, if possible?
Johann Kotzé from AgriSA had a discussion with eNCA to discuss some of the issues around this.