Ruptly
"The 48th edition of the largest agricultural exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere, NAMPO Harvest Day, kicked off under the ‘Resilience through Innovation’ theme in Bothaville on Tuesday against the backdrop of mounting concern over sharp fertiliser and fuel price hikes caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Footage shows visitors wandering amid numerous exhibits, from agricultural machinery and fertilisers to agricultural drones, nicknamed ‘flying tractors’ for performing such tasks as spraying pesticides and seeding crops. The exhibition comes as farm profitability is facing growing pressure due to the global energy crisis, with surging prices and supply disruptions increasing input costs at a critical time for planting and production, impacting future harvests and national food security. “We have to prepare fields, cultivate them, prepare them for the planting season, the planting itself, and then the whole process, you know, as the plants grow through the season. So we constantly would need fuel,” explained Grain SA vice-chairperson Danie Minnaar. “So the prices that are going up are directly impacting us as farmers, driving our import costs up.” To contain the escalating crisis and support farmers through harsh times, the South African government is currently searching for alternatives in agricultural production technologies that are “better for the soils, more scientifically developed and not so harsh and don't cause runoff problems,” according to South African Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuizen. “These input costs rise, they have a direct bearing on the cost of production and, therefore, the consumer pays ultimately,” he stated. “We're busy fast-tracking biological developments and biological applications to try and get them to market quicker and to make them more efficient and effective for farmers to use.” “The other big thing that we are starting to move towards is looking at biofuels,” Steenhuizen continued. “We have huge amounts of natural resources here. Sorghum, maize, and sugarcane are all perfect ingredients for a biofuel mix in South Africa that would see us being able to ensure that vehicles run in South Africa, particularly agricultural vehicles, at a far cheaper cost.” Organised by the association of grain farmers, Grain SA, NAMPO Harvest Day 2026 is scheduled to run from May 12 to 15. This year, over 86,000 visitors and nearly 900 exhibitors are expected to attend the landmark agricultural event. Shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for roughly 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas, have driven prices higher and strained imports. The disruption follows escalating tensions after the United States and Israel launched joint military operations against Iran on February 28."
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