Keep fighting, and never give up hope

Michael Esmeraldo, newly appointed managing director of Netafim South Africa, argues that there is hope for South Africa's agriculture sector and the country as a whole, despite the challenges of 2022.

"It cannot be denied that 2022 was a tough year for most of us in agriculture. To be more specific, in my time at Netafim, where I started as an agronomist about eight years ago, 2022 was the toughest year for the irrigation industry.

The rising costs of farming inputs, logistical nightmares at South Africa's harbours, and all the barriers to entry into the European market are but a few of the reasons that anyone in the sector might want to drown their sorrows.

If you're a farmer, you may well be feeling that all the odds are stacked against you, and you may even be rethinking (for the hundredth time) your decision to farm, wishing you'd bought the local dry-cleaner on the corner rather than invest in the hectares of mandarins you planted recently.

If so, I want to remind you that there is still plenty of hope, and to quote the late John Lennon, "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end." There are still plenty of opportunities in South Africa's ever-changing agriculture sector.

THE WHEEL TURNS

Our memories tend to be short; when we are in a downward trend, we often forget that everything in agriculture is cyclical. The wheel turns constantly; we were down last year, but in a year or two or maybe three, we'll be on top again and will reap the rewards of our hard labour and investments.

The trick is to stick it out, remain hopeful, and keep an open mind. Agriculture is a marathon, not a sprint, and the people who can endure the tough times will come out on top.