Wandile Sihlobo tells Gabriel Makin about the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan that was launched in May 2022. Government drafted it with AgriSA, agribusinesses, Fruit SA, citrus and wine growers, and the red meat industry. It goes value chain by value chain: what blocks growth, and what would unlock it. Then crises took over, most recently foot-and-mouth disease, and the plan never reached provinces and municipalities.

Wandile argues against starting again from scratch. Implement the plan, and improve it along the way. The plan also tackles port delays, access to new export markets, animal and plant health, stock theft, and rural crime.