George George Idowu
At the recent Bayer symposium, Corné Louw, senior economist at Grain SA, highlighted the pivotal role that technological innovations such as biotechnology, precision farming, and herbicides have played in transforming South African agriculture.
Louw emphasized the need for continued advancements in farming practices to meet the country’s climatic and economic challenges.
Louw pointed out that South African farmers must adopt techniques to “farm with moisture” to cope with the unique climate.
He credited herbicides like glyphosate and Roundup for their revolutionary impact on modern farming.
“Without glyphosate, we wouldn’t be able to farm the way we do today,” Louw remarked, underlining how these herbicides have allowed farmers to manage weeds more efficiently and boost productivity.
However, Louw cautioned that innovation alone is not enough. Farmers must also focus on improving efficiency to combat rising input costs.
“Farming is like running on a treadmill where the pace increases every season. If we don’t improve our efficiency, we’ll fall behind,” he warned.
The rising costs of inputs, such as diesel and seeds, have surged over the years, often outpacing the price of maize, one of South Africa’s key crops.
The economist traced the evolution of South African farming, noting that maize production has surged from 0.6 tons per hectare in the 1920s to an average of 6.35 tons per hectare today. This remarkable improvement, Louw said, is due to better farming practices, biotechnology, and precision agriculture. “The introduction of new hybrids and the adoption of precision agriculture, where we measure output down to the square metre, have been game changers,” he explained.
He stressed that modern farming is no longer just about achieving the highest yields but ensuring profitability through precise resource management.
Louw also highlighted the transformation in South Africa’s soya bean industry. Since the introduction of Roundup Ready soya beans in the early 2000s, production has soared, with South Africa now exporting up to 2.7 million tons of soya beans to markets like China and Bangladesh.
This shift from failure to record success, Louw said, is a testament to the power of technology in driving agricultural productivity.
Looking to the future, Louw expressed optimism as new breeding techniques and agricultural innovations continue to emerge.
“Without technology, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we have today. It has given us higher yields, better pest and disease resistance, and, importantly, a safer environment for both consumers and animals,” he noted.
He closed by stressing the importance of ongoing investment in research and development, calling it crucial for staying competitive in the global market.
“If South African farmers weren’t such fast adopters of technology, we wouldn’t have been able to stay competitive. It’s essential that we keep pushing forward and embrace new technologies to meet the growing challenges in the agriculture sector,” Louw concluded.