News

The current rolling blackouts by power utility Eskom have struck the Western Cape in the midst of a critical time for the fruit industry.

The higher crop production forecast for the coming season has resulted in a rise in combine harvester sales during February, which could mean farmers are preparing for a good harvesting season.

The past several years’ drought in Namibia has had a devastating impact on the country’s hunting industry, and in some areas hunting quotas had been cut between 70% and 80%. This was according to Tanya Dahl, CEO of the Namibia Professional Hunting Association (NAPHA).

With approximately 65% of South Africa’s commercial pig herd now officially registered with the South African Pork Producers’ Organisation’s (SAPPO) compartmentalisation system, the local commercial herd is now one of the healthiest in the world.

Maize farmers have been urged to scout for Diplodia maize rot amongst their crops.

As the EU and the US recently resumed trade talks, the EU’s chief trade negotiator Phil Hogan said the region wanted to explore possibilities that would enable each side to reduce administrative obstacles to agricultural trade.

The drop in fuel prices that came into effect on Wednesday as a result of lower Brent crude oil prices, on the back of the fast-spreading coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak across the world, will provide some relief for farmers.

Any amendments to Section 25 of South Africa’s Constitution needed to prioritise the protection of the land rights of farm dwellers and those living on traditional authority lands.

South Africa’s agriculture sector has experienced two consecutive years of recession due, in large part, to the widespread drought on the production of field and certain horticulture crops.

For the first time in 20 years, the producer prices of small grains in Zimbabwe have been set higher than that of maize as a way of encouraging the growing of these crops.

The agriculture ministry in China has raised concerns about an increased risk of fall armyworm (FAW) infestations this year.

The decision by the Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni to propose no major tax increases in the 2020 National Budget Speech has been welcomed by role players in South Africa’s agriculture sector.

The risk posed by failures and inefficiencies at South Africa’s main ports to the country’s economy, particularly the damage this was doing to export competitiveness, was acknowledged in the Budget Review, tabled by National Treasury alongside the 2020 Budget that was delivered by Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni in Parliament on Wednesday.

Despite the announcement of real spending cuts during the tabling of the 2020 Budget by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni in Parliament on Wednesday, South Africa was not “in an austerity situation”.

Mere weeks after Tongaat Hulett Limited (THL) announced that it would be mothballing its Darnall Sugar Mill indefinitely, Illovo Sugar South Africa (ISSA) announced that it would be suspending operations at its Umzimkulu Sugar Mill, on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, for the 2020/2021 season starting on 1 April.

The negative impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak in China on the global agriculture sector, including that of South Africa, is multifaceted, according to Joseph Kau, agricultural economist at the Agricultural Research Council.

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has been urged to ensure the correct strategies are in place to make the implementation of any announcements made during the 2020/2021 National Budget speech feasible.

Hundreds of farmers gathered in front of the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium on Thursday to protest against cuts to the budget for the common agricultural policy (CAP).

The decision by the Zimbabwean government to lift the ban on genetically modified (GM) maize imports to increase supplies after a poor local harvest season, could benefit South African farmers.

The Land Bank recently announced that Ayanda Kanana, CEO of the Joburg Market, is due to take up the position as CEO of the Land Bank from 2 March.