âââ ELSABÉ RICHARD 13:43 Tue, 06 Apr 2021 Photo: Flickr.com
Rice is one of the main staple foods South Africa imports, as the country does not have a conducive climate for its production.
This is according to Wandile Sihlobo, Chief Economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, Agbiz. Sihlobo explains that the International Grains Council forecasts South Africa s 2021 rice imports at 1.1 million tonnes, which is a 5% increase from the previous year. He says the imports are usually evenly spread across the year, with a slight peak in volumes in the last quarter of each year. About 70% of South Africa s rice is usually imported from Thailand, with other notable suppliers being India, Pakistan, China and Vietnam. Sihlobo says all these countries currently expect a reasonably good harvest, which supports the availability of supplies for exports. Furthermore, he says worth noting is that, on average, about 10% of the imported