News

The South African National Consumer Union (SANCU) and the Emerging Black Importers and Exporters South Africa (EBieSA) are contesting the import tariff on chicken proposed by the South African Poultry Association (SAPA).

Unpredictable weather conditions and uncertainty surrounding Brexit have resulted in most of the main milk producing countries in the EU coming under pressure in terms of production in 2018. This was further exacerbated by fodder shortages and rising feed costs.

JSE-listed Zeder Investments, which focuses on the agriculture, food and beverage sectors, managed to deliver comparable recurring earnings and maintain dividends, despite a challenging macro-environment in which the company and its portfolio companies operated during the financial year ended 28 February 2019.

The rain that recently occurred over the western part of the summer grain production region of South Africa will be of great value to the crops still on the land, according to Grain SA (GSA).

Pressure from pro-Palestinian groups has resulted in South African company, Brimstone Investment Corporation, pulling out of a consortium that intends to acquire Clover Industries for a reported R4,8 billion. Brimstone was originally a 15% shareholding partner in Milco SA, a company established for the purpose of acquiring Clover.

It is expected that between 150 million and 200 million pigs could be culled or die in the African swine fever (ASF) epidemic spreading through China, according to a report by Rabobank.

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 African Development Community’s [SADC] regional human rights court, the SADC Tribunal.

Almost 83kg of rhino horn from South Africa valued at around R29 million were recently intercepted by Hong Kong customs officials at the Hong Kong International Airport.

A longstanding dispute over EU subsidies that support Airbus and Boeing has led to the US government threatening to introduce punitive tariffs against EU imports amounting to US$11 billion (about R155 billion), including a long list of agricultural products.

The SA Pork Producer’s Organisation (SAPPO) has commended the swift reaction by state veterinary officials in dealing with a case of African Swine Fever (ASF) on a game farm near the controlled zone in North West.¬¬¬

Against the backdrop of widespread flooding in several US states, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey of the Democratic Party have tabled a new economic reform policy in the US Congress called the Green New Deal.

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.

Nationwide sales of tractors and combine harvesters have remained under pressure for the first quarter of 2019.

The financial sector has been asked to endeavour to develop a more "compassionate" approach for the financing of new farmers.

Agriculture lawmakers in the EU voted last week to push for new definitions for meat products in upcoming negotiations with the European Commission and EU government to reform the EU’s 59-billion- euro-a-year (about R937 billion) farm policy.

Grain SA received 425 new applications for exhibition space for the 2019 Nampo Harvest Day, which was taking place from 14 to 17 May.

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) called on Western Cape farmers to conduct regular checks of their lands after “high numbers” of fall armyworm (FAW) moths were detected in the province.

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 of neighbouring Zimbabwe and Malawi, resulting in devastating flooding across the region.

The resumption of heat-treated ostrich meat exports to the EU will help ease the pressure that South African ostrich farmers have experienced in recent years.

CropLife SA has released an emergency eradication plan for the invasive weed Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri), which can result in almost total crop failure in maize.