News

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.

Two of South Africa’s national agricultural organisations have expressed opposing views on the new national minimum wage due to come into effect on 1 March.

The Minister for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, recently announced that the blanket ban on gatherings of animals, such as at livestock auctions and shows, had been lifted.

The protracted drought in the western regions of South Africa will not continue forever. Once the drought has been broken, livestock farmers will be faced with many challenges such as sustainably managing grazing, livestock numbers and finances.