Fuel crunch from war threatens South African wheat, corn crops

Farmers in South Africa are heading into the winter planting season with surging diesel prices and tightening supplies – triggered by the Middle East conflict – threatening production in sub-Saharan Africa’s largest commercial wheat-growing industry. For Rossouw Dippenaar, who farms near Riebeek-West about 80 km northeast of Cape Town, time is running out. He needs as much as 40 000 liters of diesel to plant his wheat, but has only secured about 6 000 liters because some retailers are limiting purchases in a bid to prevent a run on their stocks.