South Africas wheat industry is under severe pressure and facing mounting financial strain due to a prolonged delay in reviewing the wheat import tariff, Grain SA has warned.
The organisation, which represents grain and oilseed producers of all sizes, from smallholders to large commercial operations, said many producers were now operating below sustainable levels as global wheat prices plunged to historical lows, eroding income and raising concerns about the future viability of local production.
In June 2024, Grain SA and the South African Cereals and Oilseeds Trade Association Sacota jointly submitted a request to the International Trade Administration Commission Itac to review the wheat tariff reference price and implement an automated, transparent tariff-publishing system. The goal was to ensure the tariff responds timeously to global price movements so that producers are not left exposed during severe market downturns.
