SCORE: C
Steenhuisen has overseen a year of tangible progress in South Africa’s agricultural sector. The department has expanded exports with citrus, table grapes, apples, maize, and wine reaching new and growing markets, including China and the Philippines, supporting both foreign exchange earnings and increased rural job creation across value chains.
However, avian influenza continues to threaten poultry production and export potential, while foot-and-mouth disease poses risks for livestock farming and international trade. Other crop and livestock threats, including swine fever, maize lethal necrosis and fungal crop pathogens, require coordinated surveillance, rapid response, and farmer support.
Onderstepoort Biological Products, the country’s leading distributor of livestock vaccines, remains in a state of serious dysfunction, with governance instability and outdated infrastructure contributing to repeated vaccine shortages. These failures have hampered South Africa’s ability to control major livestock diseases such as foot-and-mouth, brucellosis and Rift Valley fever.
Steenhuisen has taken proactive measures, including risk-based disease control strategies, trade facilitation initiatives and farmer support programs. While export growth and rural employment signal positive leadership, disease threats, regulatory oversight and environmental pressures underscore the need for sustained, integrated interventions.
Agricultural exports and rural employment highlight Steenhuisen’s tenure, alongside ongoing disease and regulatory pressures
