This in an effort to boost the Free State's economy through long term investments in all sectors, including agriculture and more specifically agro-processing. The provincial spokesperson for Destea, Kgotso Tau, says this is being done through an investment conference which is taking place this week in Bloemfontein. He says the provincial government will also on Thursday launch its 2019 Free State Investment Prospectus which forms part of Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa's plan to attract investments worth R1.3 trillion in the next five years to South Africa.

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Unpredictable weather conditions have become a major risk for the Southern African agricultural sector. The 2018/19 production season was characterised by widespread drought and floods in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique, and the season ahead looks unpredictable. This is according to Wandile Sihlobo, Chief Economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, Agbiz, who says there were early prospects of timely rains for the 2019/20 production season, but most regions remain dry and delayed the start of plantings. He says the South African Weather Service has, however, recently indicated prospects of above-normal rainfall in the central and eastern parts of the country. These prospects between November this year and January next year can bring much-needed relief and accelerate plantings of especially maize. He adds South Africa has also experienced a much better start with regards to input costs compared to last year.

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