World Food Day on 16 October remains a welcome reminder of the vital role of agriculture in maintaining food security. When the agriculture sector in SA “sneezes”, the whole country essentially catches the proverbial cold – all 63.02 million of us. It makes sense, then, to prioritise the economic viability of this critical sector. About four months in, the success of the widely discussed GNU (government of national unity) hinges heavily on strong political will, focused implementation, and accountability. This significant development in South African politics came at a time when most South Africans have had to “dig deep” more times than can be mentioned, just to keep going. And this includes fruit growers in the fresh fruit industry. Admirably, our growers continue to prove their mettle, while farming under increasingly difficult – and often unprecedented – circumstances. But sentiments are shifting in the right direction. Especially with the 0.4%…