The regional rainfall pattern for the 2019/20 agricultural season is encouraging as parts of Southern Africa are expected to receive adequate rainfall in the first half of the season.

 THE rains that fell in the past few weeks, albeit destructive in some cases, have lifted the doom around the agricultural sector across several countries in the Southern African region.

Regional climate experts drawn from all 16 SADC member states are expected to hold a virtual meeting from August 16-31 to generate and develop a consensus outlook for the coming rainy season within the region.

The Southern Africa region is a key market for South Africa's agricultural growth prospects. Of the US$13,7 billion of South Africa's agricultural exports in 2024, about 44% was to the African continent. About 90 cents of every dollar from exports to the rest of the continent was earned from the Southern Africa region. This is partly why South Africa must always seek to resolve diplomatically any challenges and promote stability in this region.