News

The estimate for South Africa’s avocado exports in 2020 has been adjusted down 11,6% from 18,5 million 4kg cartons to 16 million 4kg cartons, due to smaller fruit sizes as a result of the hot, dry summer.

The decision announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday (12 July) to reinstate the ban on the sale of alcohol, has dealt another blow to the South African wine industry, which has already lost billions this year due to lockdown regulations implemented to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The positive performance of the agriculture industry in South Africa, as indicated by current economic data, should persist throughout 2020.

Tough water restrictions for the new water year are putting serious pressure on many farmers in the Gamtoos Valley in the Eastern Cape, with some operating in survival mode, according to Rienette Colesky, CEO of the Gamtoos Irrigation Board.

A well-developed cold front is expected to hit parts of South Africa later today (9 July), bringing with it bitterly cold, wet and windy weather conditions, according to the South African Weather Service (SAWS).

The cause of death of hundreds of elephants in the northern part of Botswana’s Okavango Delta remains a mystery, with more than 400 carcasses having been discovered since May this year.

The production estimates for groundnuts in South Africa for the 2020 season has been revised downward by more than 16% due to the drought experienced during the past year in certain parts of the summer grain production regions, according to Luan van der Walt, Grain SA economist.

Meat to the value of almost R500 000 was looted from three trucks belonging to Vryheid Meatmasters on Monday (6 July), after the company’s vehicles got caught-up in the middle of protest action near Eshowe in KwaZulu-Natal.

Market conditions for canola exports will be favourable for producers in Belarus this year, due to a decline in the production of canola oil in the EU in the wake of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Food inflation data for April and May has shown a substantial contraction in the price of chicken, while long-life milk and cake flour prices increased.

A high court ruling on the sale of water rights could have far-reaching consequences for farmers, some agriculture role players have warned.

Orkel Dens-X Compactor stationary bale makers were launched in South Africa in January. The event took place at meat value chain company Kameeldrift Voere, based in Cullinan, Gauteng.

The director general of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department), Mike Mlengana, has resigned suddenly from his post.

South Africa is currently facing a serious shortage of diesel as a result of theft and vandalism along Transnet’s 3 800km fuel pipeline network.

The Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) liabilities exceeded its assets by R138 million during the past financial year.

There is growing concern that if the Brazilian ethanol market remained weak, the global sugar market could be flooded, which would send prices plummeting.

Grain SA has taken a very courageous decision to not continue with the Nampo Harvest Day event in 2020, according to Dr Kobus Laubscher, an independent agricultural economist in Bloemfontein.

In addition to diesel shortages across parts of South Africa, producers will also have to brace themselves for a hefty diesel price increase on Wednesday.

Tomato producers have been among those worst affected by a spate of cold fronts during May and June, which had a negative impact on certain fruit and vegetables traded on South Africa’s fresh produce markets.

With South Africa’s unemployment rate now standing at more than 30%, a labour expert has warned the worst was yet to come.