Africa

Thousands of tobacco farmers in Zimbabwe say they are frustrated with low prices, pointing to a growing gap between returns and high production costs as the country’s 2026 tobacco marketing season continues.

Zimbabwe has partially lifted its suspension on imports of live cloven-hoofed animals and products from South Africa, reopening trade from the Western Cape only. Animals will be accepted only from farms and compartments certified by Zimbabwean state veterinarians as meeting World Organisation for Animal Health standards.

Cattle pens were empty at this year’s Bulawayo Agricultural Show in Zimbabwe due to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Southern Africa, but small-stock and young agripreneurs focused on value addition kept the event going.

The Zimbabwean government announced last week that it will return 67 farms seized from foreign nationals from four European countries, whose investments are protected under bilateral agreements.

Botswana is intensifying efforts to control a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak while managing investigations into alleged extortion linked to the disease.

Botswana has confirmed a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in the north-eastern part of the country, triggering a swift escalation in containment measures as authorities race to prevent further spread.

Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector faces mounting pressure as rising fuel costs spread through the value chain. Farmers, transporters, and industry experts warn that volatile prices could affect productivity and food supply, particularly for smallholder farmers.

Zimbabwe's rabbit farming sector is poised for significant expansion, with projections indicating a tenfold increase in value to US$25 million (about R400 million) in the medium term, up from a base of US$2,5 million (R40 million), as the industry transitions from informal roots to a thriving commercial enterprise.

Kenyan farmers have received a temporary reprieve in their seed-saving battle after the government failed to overturn a High Court ruling protecting farmers’ right to save, share, and exchange indigenous seeds.

Botswana’s repeated bans on South African fresh produce have raised concerns in the agriculture sector, with industry leaders saying the stop-start restrictions disrupt trade flows and make export planning difficult.

Zambia has suspended all imports of livestock and related animal products from South Africa with immediate effect, citing biosecurity concerns over the country’s escalating foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak.

The foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Eswatini, first reported in May 2025, has spread extensively across the country, affecting cattle and pigs, with only one region remaining virus-free.

Zimbabwean veterinary authorities have reported an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Zimbabwe’s Mangwe district in Matabeleland South, near the country's border with Botswana.

Zimbabwe's dairy sector is on a rebound, with the country hoping to build on increasing milk production to surpass its national annual requirements.

South African farmers are struggling to claim compensation or reclaim their farms that were seized during Zimbabwe's land reform exercise launched in 2000 by then-President Robert Mugabe.

Thirty women researchers, nine of whom are conducting research that benefits the agricultural sector, have received the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents Sub-Saharan Africa Award.

At just 13 years old, Zimbabwean Tarylyn Chipo Bote won a national agricultural competition in November, earning recognition for her successful rabbit project.

The first Dorper sheep sale ever held in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland region took place recently, signalling that the breed has entered a growth phase in numbers and public interest.

Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector is set to benefit from the government’s regulatory fee reforms, which will see statutory fees either scrapped or reduced in the coming year.

Botswana has once again banned vegetable imports from South Africa and other neighbouring countries in an effort to bolster support for local producers, despite having only recently lifted similar restrictions.