John Purchase, CEO of the South African agriculture chamber of commerce, Agbiz, spoke with CNBC on Monday about the impact that worsening trade disruptions are having on the local agricultural sector. Purchase said farmers are already starting to experience financial losses, particularly since products like the grapes that South Africa is famous for are unable to make it to China. 

But Purchase added the situation could be worse. “Fortunately we’re not in the citrus export season at the moment, which is our biggest fruit export [to China].”