The excessive heat across South Africa currently is a significant concern for the farming sector. The 2023/24 summer crop season started on favourable footing. We received widespread rains, which was unusual in an El Niño season, which would typically start with drier weather conditions. According to data from the Crop Estimates Committee, the farmers managed to plant a sizable summer grain and oilseed area of 4,4 million hectares, up by 0,4% from the 2022/23 season. For a while, it appeared as though South Africa was on track for yet another excellent harvest. But since the start of February, the rain has been scant across the summer crop-growing regions of South Africa, thus raising concerns about the yield potential of the crops. My writing on agricultural economic matters is available on my blog: https://wandilesihlobo.com/ Podcast production by: Lwandiso Gwarubana, Richard Humphries, and Sam Mkokeli