During the much-anticipated visit by king Willem-Alexander and queen Máxima of the Netherlands to South Africa in October, agriculture will top the agenda. The king will be in South Africa from 18 to 20 October 2023 as per the invitation of President Cyril Ramaphosa. Thabile Nkunjana, an agricultural economist from the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), said although the Netherlands is experiencing a minor recession, for South African fruit exports that could mean a lot and they will probably be hoping that the situation does not worsen.
“This is concerning for South Africa’s agricultural sector because the Netherlands is by far the largest single market for agricultural products sent to the EU region, followed by the United Kingdom. South Africa’s agricultural exports to the Netherlands can equal to at least 40% of total value in a typical year or quarter,” Nkunjana added.
The Netherlands is reported to be experiencing a minor recession in 2023. This follows a 0.3% drop in the economy in the first quarter of 2023 and a 0.4% drop in the second quarter.
Source: foodformzansi.co.za