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India has extended the policy of unrestricted imports of yellow peas at zero duty until March 31, 2026. On May 30, 2025, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) issued a custom notification continuing the import duty exemption on yellow peas through March 31, 2026.

South Africa boasts one of Africa's most developed and diverse economies, supported by a robust commercial sector and sophisticated distribution networks.

India presents both significant opportunities and notable challenges for U.S. food and beverage exports. As the world’s fastest-growing major economy and currently the fifth largest globally, India is projected to rise to third place by 2028.

In 2024, Southern Africa faced a severe drought, leading to a significant decline in corn and soybean production, which caused rising food inflation and economic challenges.

Post estimates India’s ethanol production in calendar year (CY) 2025 to reach 10.5 billion liters (BL), marking a 46 percent increase over 2024 due to improved feedstock availability and favorable monsoon conditions.

On May 27, 2025, the Indian Metrological Department forecast an above-normal precipitation in the upcoming 2025 monsoon in most parts of the country.

The FAIRS Annual Country Report provides a comprehensive summary of the rules and regulations governing the import of food and agricultural products to South Africa.

This report has been updated to include the latest information relevant to exporting to South Africa. The Food and Agricultural Import Regulation and Standards (FAIRS) Certificate Report provides a comprehensive list of the main certificates required for exporting plants, animals, and animal products to South Africa.

The South African Department of Agriculture (DoA) reported several new positive cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in cattle in the KwaZulu Natal, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga provinces in April 2025. Following the announcement of the FMD outbreak, China suspended imports of cloven-hoofed animals and related products from South Africa.

On May 30, 2025, India reduced its import duty on crude soybean, sunflower, and palm oil from 20 percent to 10 percent, lowering the effective duty to 16.5 percent.

India published guidelines for accepting recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET) as a food contact material. These guidelines are in alignment with its recently published measure that aims to enhance food safety standards by allowing the use of rPET for food packing, storage, and distribution.

On April 15, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted a 59 percent chance of an above-normal 2025 southwest monsoon, and an onset date of May 27, five days ahead of typical June 1 onset.