Botswana farmers want permanent ban of vegetable imports
A group of vegetable producers from across Botswana are calling for a permanent ban on imports of tomatoes, potatoes, cabbages, carrots, beetroot and green peppers from South Africa and other...
Namibia’s small-stock export scheme suspended
The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) recently welcomed a decision by the country’s authorities to fully suspend the small-stock marketing scheme to allow producers to export without restriction to South Africa.
41 million people in Southern Africa to face food insecurity
About 41,2 million people in 13 Southern African countries will suffer food insecurity between now and March 2020, following low rainfall in the 2018/2019 growing season.
Police continue to illegally occupy lodge in Zimbabwe
The Bembezi Wildlife Conservancy and Portwe farming concern in Zimbabwe remained illegally occupied by the Zimbabwe Republic Police, despite claims by Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa that the country “was open...
‘Heat stress to become greater threat to agricultural workers’
The agriculture sector in Africa could lose up to 14 million jobs by 2030 due to heat stress. This was according to a new report by the International Labour Organisation...
Investing in Africa: a continent brimming with opportunities
Dr Rutendo Hwindingwi, also known as the ‘African Realist’, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the opportunities and pitfalls of doing business in Africa.
Lesotho wool growers march despite ‘grace period’
Several thousand Lesotho wool and mohair farmers gathered in the capital Maseru on Friday to march to the country’s parliament to hand over a memorandum.
Multi-million rand agri growth programme launched in Zimbabwe
The EU recently launched a US$45 million (about R665,9 million) programme to support the growth of Zimbabwe’s livestock sector.
‘Wool sheep from Lesotho now being slaughtered in SA’
Wool growers in Lesotho, who had not received an income since March 2018, are now selling their stock to slaughter markets in a desperate attempt to survive.
Mighty Nile River under threat in Egypt
The Nile Delta in northern Egypt, one of the largest river deltas in the world, is under threat from a rapidly increasing population, climate change, and poor management of garbage...
54% smaller maize harvest expected for Zimbabwe in 2019
The forecast for this year’s maize harvest in Zimbabwe is 776 600t, which was 54% lower than the 2018 output of 1,7 million tons.
Cannabis can boost agriculture in Africa – report
The cannabis market in Africa is estimated to be worth around US$37,3 billion (about R545 billion), which is 11% of the total global market for the product.
Boosting regional trade in Africa
Reducing tariffs and, more importantly, addressing non-tariff bottlenecks will support further regional trade integration on the African continent, according to a report recently released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Drought devastates Namibia in first quarter of 2019
The devastating effect of the drought in Namibia is clearly illustrated in the Namibia Agricultural Union’s (NAU) first quarter review for 2019.
Zimbabwean traditional chief denounces white farmer eviction
The Paramount Chief of the Ndiweni people in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland province, Chief Nhlanhla Felix Ndiweni, has condemned the government’s latest eviction of white farmers in that country.
R32 million investment in Kenya’s small-scale farmers
Agri-technology company Devenish Nutrition, based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has announced a £1,7 million (about R32 million) investment in agri-services company Sidai Africa based in Kenya.
Zimbabwe to compensate white commercial farmers
The Zimbabwean government’s decision to compensate white commercial farmers who lost their land as part of former president Robert Mugabe’s land reform programme was precipitated by pressure from the international...
Zimbabwean farmers claim R1,9 billion from SA government
A group of former commercial farmers in Zimbabwe recently lodged a R1,9 billion compensation claim against the South African government and presidency for presiding over the dissolution of the South...
Paving the way for GM crop production in Africa
If countries in Africa had biosafety risk assessment systems in place it would open up opportunities for trade in genetically modified (GM) crops on the continent.
Counting the cost of Cyclone Idai’s devastation
Governments and international aid organisations are still trying to take stock of the full extent of the damage caused by Cyclone Idai, which recently tore through central Mozambique and parts...























