The second day of NAMPO Cape in Bredasdorp moved beyond the machinery and exhibition stands to some of the questions farmers are having to answer in their own businesses: What should they plant? How do they manage rising costs? Where can they find finance? And what happens if the coming season does not play out as expected?
By Talitha Janse van Vuuren, multimedia editor at African Farming
Economic uncertainty featured strongly in Thursday’s discussions. At the launch of Absa Agri’s spring 2026 trends report, agricultural economist Zama Sangweni said volatility had characterised agricultural markets both internationally and locally this year.
Rising diesel and fertiliser costs, initially expected to hit winter grain producers particularly hard, are now also a concern for summer grain farmers. The possibility of El Niño conditions has added another unknown, with potential implications for rainfall, heat, grazing, crop yields and water availability.
The message from agricultural financiers was to plan for uncertainty instead of assuming conditions will settle quickly. Dawie Maree, FNB’s head of agriculture information and marketing, urged farmers to keep working on their numbers. “Your budget must be adjustable, and not something you just give your bank once a year,” he said.
Canola changes the winter grain equation
For Western Cape grain farmers, one of the day’s strongest discussions was about the rapid expansion of canola.
Grain SA’s Corné Louw said the area planted to canola had increased from about 34 000 ha in 2010 to 192 000 ha last season.
Andries Theron, chairperson of the Protein Research Foundation’s canola working group and a producer himself, put the reason plainly: “The dilemma in the industry is that the wheat sums don’t add up.”
He argued that “the days of a wheat culture are over”, with producers increasingly having to decide what combination of crops works economically on their individual farms.
Also read: Wheat prices, wool opportunities and FMD on the agenda as NAMPO Cape 2026 gets under way
New thinking about fertiliser and finance
Another unusual idea came from Dr Jack Bloom, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, who told NAMPO Cape that some of the nearly 640 000 dry tonnes of sewage sludge produced annually by major wastewater treatment works could potentially be put to productive agricultural use.
Bloom said properly treated wastewater and sewage sludge could offer lower-cost fertiliser and irrigation options, particularly for emerging farmers. He pointed to Water Research Commission research and existing projects as evidence that agricultural reuse can be pursued safely when the material is properly treated and managed.
Access to infrastructure was also on the programme. Absa and Agrico announced a financing arrangement for qualifying farmers purchasing complete Agrico centre-pivot irrigation systems, with interest rates starting from prime minus 2% and repayment structures designed around agricultural cash-flow cycles.
Together, the day’s conversations showed just how closely production decisions are now tied to finance, input costs, water and weather. For farmers walking between the equipment displays and discussion venues at NAMPO Cape, there was plenty to look at – but perhaps more importantly, plenty to consider.
Also read:
Trailblazing innovation in agricultural research – Sclerotinia camera wins at CPSI Awards
R80 million boost for Eastern Cape emerging grain farmers
