Local market still important : trends : MPO current
The export market is regarded as very important for South African agriculture. However, for the majority of South African farmers, the local market is still the most important. It consumes all the wheat we produce, more than 90% of the milk and even in a surplus year such as 2010, more than 90% of the total maize crop. The situation is quite different for the fruit and wine industries, where the bulk of their products are exported. Even in those industries, the local market provides a lucrative market for products, especially for those that are able to catch the markets at the optimum time.