{
  "id": 10673549,
  "title": "Good grain harvest shielded South African consumers from inflation reality",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/good-grain-harvest-shielded-south-african-consumers-from-inflation",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-29T11:08:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-09-29-good-grain-harvest-shielded-south-african-consumers-from-inflation-reality-1/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "South Africa's bountiful harvests of grains, fruit, and vegetables have kept food prices low, despite issues like foot-and-mouth disease, rising fuel costs, and a potential El Niño drought. Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa's Wandile Sihlobo, who serves as the Presidential Envoy on Agriculture and Land and a senior research fellow at Stellenbosch University, noted that the 2025/26 agricultural season has been exceptional. Consumer food price inflation was 0.7% in August 2026, the lowest since 2010. Experts predict this trend will continue through 2026, with potential increases next year as El Niño effects become more evident. The main drivers of this moderation are grain-related products, fruits, and vegetables, all currently in deflation. Meat prices have also stabilized, although foot-and-mouth disease has caused some concern. Fish, seafood, milk, dairy products, and eggs have seen slight price increases, but their lower weight in the overall inflation figure mitigates their impact. Grain production is forecast at a record 21.6 million tonnes, up 5% from the previous season. Fruit and vegetable prices continue to decline, despite some damage from recent floods in certain regions. Meat prices have seen a slight decline in cattle slaughter rates, but this is balanced by the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease concerns. Overall, South Africans are reaping the benefits of the remarkable 2025-26 agricultural season, with exports reaching $7.8 billion in the first half of 2026, up 11% from the same period in 2025. However, challenges remain, particularly in the livestock sector due to foot-and-mouth disease and drier conditions affecting wheat production. The looming US-Iran war and potential El Niño drought present additional risks to food prices in the future.",
  "summary": "South Africa’s abundant grains, fruit and vegetables are keeping food prices low, while foot-and-mouth disease, rising fuel costs and an expected El Niño loom.",
  "key_points": [
    "South Africa's 2025/26 grain harvest set record 21.6 million tonnes production",
    "Consumer food price inflation at 0.7% in August 2026, lowest since 2010",
    "Meat prices stabilized despite foot-and-mouth disease concerns"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BusinessDay Nigeria",
        "title": "More than half of African economies see inflation drop in August, but oil above $100 threatens gains",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/more-than-half-of-african-economies-see-inflation-drop-in-august-but",
        "published": "2026-09-29T08:21:32.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}