> The unregulated market environment, which exposes the sector to fluctuations in world prices, > The decreasing share of field crops in agricultural production and South Africa's move from being a net exporter of foods to a net importer, > The growing dominance of retail chains and an increasing farmer to retail price differential, > High input costs for, among others, fertiliser, fuel and feedstock, > Poorly skilled subsistence and emerging farmers, who only achieve low production volumes and productivity levels, > A lack of agricultural spatial planning and poor infrastructure, which makes it difficult for farmers to liaise with buyers, access markets and boost sales, > Poor information and knowledge management for small holder farmers, which prevents them from correctly addressing production challenges, and > The misalignment between agricultural research and development (R&D) and practical implementation, which implies that research, has little impact on the growth and development of the sector.