News

Legal tensions over South Africa’s proposed foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination scheme are intensifying, with the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO) urging stakeholders to prioritise facts over fiction and work together to safeguard the livestock industry.

Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) has launched Respiclos, a combination vaccine designed to address two of the most costly and persistent disease challenges in South African cattle: bovine respiratory disease and clostridial infections.

For many farmers, the idea of restoring and rehabilitating veld can feel overwhelming because it is often seen as expensive, complex, and difficult to know where to begin. However, this perception is often the biggest barrier to getting started.

AgriSA and Agbiz have raised concerns over emerging fuel supply constraints in South Africa’s rural areas, warning that ongoing rationing could begin to disrupt agricultural operations if not urgently addressed.

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.

As the South African pecan nut harvest gets underway in May, the industry is expecting a positive year as supply and demand trends count in their favour.

South Africa’s immediate fertiliser supply is said to be sufficient, but higher diesel prices, as well shipping delays in the Strait of Hormuz due to the conflict in the Middle East, will greatly impact farmers across South Africa, according to key industry players.

Ninety small-scale livestock farmers from North West and Limpopo have completed a targeted development programme aimed at improving herd health, productivity and access to formal markets, in an initiative led by the University of Pretoria (UP) and funded by Sibanye Stillwater.

South Africa’s response to the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak is showing signs of systemic strain, with diagnostic failures, vaccine delays and policy fragmentation undermining containment efforts.

A Farmer’s Weekly-sponsored panel discussion on foot-and-mouth disease will form part of the 2026 Bathurst Agricultural Show on 27 March.

Buyers, bidders, sellers, and guests from across South Africa attended the ninth annual Bona Bona Platinum Auction in March, one of the country’s premier wildlife events, held at the Bona Bona Game Lodge near Wolmaransstad, North West.

The unprecedented outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease and African swine fever in the South African pork industry have placed immense pressure on affected producers, with thousands of pigs culled and entire herds lost.

The High Court in Pretoria has given the Minister of the Department of Agriculture a firm deadline to bring South Africa’s long-discussed foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) animal health scheme into legal force, after months of delays in the face of a crippling national outbreak.

Foskor, South Africa’s only vertically integrated producer of phosphate ore and phosphate-based fertilisers, has no mono-ammonium phosphate available, according to an industry source who asked to remain anonymous.

Amid shrinking grain incomes, double-digit input cost increases, and uncertain weather, farmers should make every hectare count, says Swartland agricultural economist Suzanne Lureman.

Stronger collaboration, clearer regulations, and the rapid rollout of digital phytosanitary certification systems are emerging as key solutions to improve the speed, cost, and reliability of seed movement across Africa.

The development of a viable industrial hemp industry in Southern Africa depends on closing critical gaps in funding, coordination, and implementation, experts said at the recent African Industrial Hemp Fibre Processing for Commercialisation Conference in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

Pannar’s Crop Extravaganza series goes the extra mile and continues to provide farmers with more than just a showcase of new cultivars. These events combine product demonstrations with practical insights from multi-location trials, helping producers make informed decisions about hybrid selection and crop management.

The Western Cape’s response to the ongoing outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is gaining momentum, with provincial authorities and industry stakeholders pointing to strong coordination, early planning, and rapid vaccine deployment as key to containing the disease.

In early March, the Department of Agriculture held the ‘Transforming Farming: Sustainable Regenerative Agriculture’ conference at Witpoort farm in Klerksdorp, where experts highlighted the importance of soil health and shared practical insights to help emerging farmers invest in regenerative practices. Farmer’s Weekly attended the event.