The government has partnered with financial institutions through the Blended Finance Scheme to support black producers in the agriculture sector. Highlighting agriculture as a growth sector, President Cyril Ramaphosa said during the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) that the government is expanding market access for farmers.
“Already, we are the second largest exporter of citrus fruit in the world. We are opening new markets for our exports, from citrus and avocados to maize, livestock, grapes and wine.
“Through the Blended Finance Scheme, working with the Land Bank and commercial banks, we have provided R7.8 billion in innovative funding to black producers,” Ramaphosa said.
The president also announced additional support for the agri sector.
“We will deploy 10,000 new extension officers to support farmers and improve agricultural productivity,” he said.
For small-scale farmers, agro-processors and rural SMEs operating in the agricultural value chain, expanded export access and blended finance support could unlock new growth opportunities.
Foot and mouth disease threatens agricultural enterprises
Ramaphosa said the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease is one of the worst ever experienced by the country.
“This disease is damaging our economy, resulting in export bans, trade restrictions and devastation of herds.”
He confirmed a national vaccination drive.
“We have decided to vaccinate the national herd of 14 million cattle. This requires 28 million vaccines over the next 12 months. The state will facilitate the acquisition of the vaccines centrally to ensure that we get the right vaccine for the particular strain of the virus in South Africa,” Ramaphosa said.
“We will work closely with the private sector to enable an efficient rollout and, most importantly, we will ensure that commercial, private and communal farmers have immediate access to vaccines.”
Ramaphosa added that foot-and-mouth disease has been declared a national disaster.
For livestock farmers, feed suppliers, transporters and rural SMEs, swift containment of the outbreak is essential to prevent further export losses and income disruption.
