News

Recent data from the South African Grain Information Services showed that the wheat import tariff has been revised to R1 190/t, 25% lower than the current level of R1 591/t.

On 9 February, President Jacob Zuma delivered the annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Cape Town. While some agricultural stakeholders were impressed with Zuma’s commitment to the sector, others were equally unimpressed.

New Holland Agriculture, a division of CNH Industrial, will open a new branch office in Johannesburg at the beginning of May, to provide support to farmers in South Africa, as well as Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana and Namibia.

The minimum wage of R20 per hour announced by vice-president Cyril Ramaphosa in parliament recently is not expected to have a marked effect on agriculture.

Despite a positive market sentiment, SA farmers are wary about buying new tractors.

Chicken farmers in the US state of Oklahoma sued poultry companies for allegedly sharing payment data with one another , in order to keep producer pay below competitive levels, news agency Bloomberg reported.

The annual ban on the direct movement of horses into the Western Cape’s African horse sickness (AHS) controlled zone came into effect on 1 February 2017, according to a Western Cape government statement.

Food prices in Kenya have increased by 12,54% when compared to 2016, which has led to a 7% increase in inflation, according to Fresh Plaza.

President Jacob Zuma will be presenting his State of the Nation Address (SONA) 2017 at 7pm on Thursday, 9 February. South African agriculture has faced a number of challenges in recent years, most notably the severe drought of which the after-effects are still being felt across much of the country.

The South African Apple and Pear Producers’ Organisation (SAAPPA) anticipates a normal pome fruit season despite drought conditions affecting certain production areas, according to a SAAPPA press release.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has announced that it will be approving products to be used against fall armyworm from this week.

The quality of poultry being exported from the EU to South Africa is the same quality as the poultry produced and sold in Europe, Bloomberg reported Marcus Cornaro, EU ambassador to SA, as saying.

A mobile application that acts as an information platform for South African smallholder farmers, has been launched by Vodacom, in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Manstrat Agricultural Intelligence Solutions.

The 2017 Cape Premier Yearling Sale, recently held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, had a record turn over of R155 225 000.

Recent reports of suspected Fall Armyworm (FAW) outbreaks in the Limpopo and North West areas has been confirmed by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) on Friday.

Industry leaders agree that the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Senzeni Zokwana, demonstrates a healthy interest in agricultural matters, but is not particularly proficient in implementing policies for the sector.

President Nana Akufo-Addo has pledged to boost the agriculture sector and create jobs as nearly 50% of 18- to 24-year-olds were unemployed.

Extensive damage by an as yet unidentified pest caterpillar, suspected to be fall armyworm (FAW), has been reported on sweet corn and white maize planted for seed production in South Africa, while reports of similar damage has also been received from Namibia.

Fruit South Africa (Fruit SA) has partnered with The Great Fruit Adventure to promote awareness of the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables, particularly amongst children.

Agriculture can sustainably make use of wetlands; it is not a case of not utilising them at all, but rather using them wisely.