News

South Africa is positioning its honey industry for expansion into international export markets, with Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen confirming that work is under way to meet the EU’s honey import standards.

AgriSA has launched a real-time locust tracking platform to help monitor and manage outbreaks of the pest across South Africa.

Rising global demand for avocados is opening new frontiers for South African exports, but sustained growth will depend on quality, consumer education, and agile marketing rather than just improved market access.

Red Meat Industry Services officially launched Phase 2 of its Traceability Platform at an event held in Pretoria on 5 November, marking a step towards achieving full livestock traceability in South Africa.

The first confirmed case of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in the Western Cape has been reported on a farm near Gouda., prompting an immediate quarantine and control measures to contain the outbreak.

The 2025/26 cherry harvest has begun in the Western Cape, South Africa's largest cherry-growing region. This season sees several new cultivars reaching local markets for the first time.

Despite ongoing global and domestic challenges, South Africa’s economy is showing encouraging signs of resilience, according to Emile du Plessis, senior economist at Standard Bank.

Veterinary authorities have placed a farm in Gouda, Western Cape, under quarantine amid an investigation into a suspected foot-and-mouth disease case, believed to be linked to the recent movement of cattle from the province to the Free State.

Above-normal early-summer rainfall is expected to ease from mid- to late summer, possibly signalling the start of a longer dry cycle.

Thirteen suspects have been arrested for the murder of a farmworker and the rape and stabbing of his wife during a farm attack in Free State in the early hours of Saturday, 1 November.

South Africa’s dairy industry is preparing for the introduction of an oil-based DIVA-type foot-and-mouth disease vaccine from Turkish company Dollvet, expected in early 2026. Final approval and procurement are under way, with supply expected to be limited initially.

Farmers in Zimbabwe are lobbying the government to rethink policy as they aim to make the country the largest blueberry exporter in Africa.

Eleven commercial farms across KwaZulu-Natal are set to be transferred to local farmers as part of a major provincial drive to boost food security, job creation, and rural economic growth.

Speaking at the Grain SA Farmer of the Year Awards in Johannesburg on 31 October, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen commended farmers for their determination and innovation, saying excellence is born not of comfort but of courage and hard work.

Calls to ban pesticides in South Africa simply because they’re banned in the EU disregard crucial differences between the regions, as well as farming in the EU, which is heading towards an increasingly unprofitable and unsustainable future.

The Royal Agricultural Society of Natal recently hosted the 2025 Royal Fat Stock Show and Carcass Competition, showcasing some of KwaZulu-Natal’s finest beef and lamb entries on-the-hoof and on-the-hook.

As the festive season approaches, experts are warning South African consumers of possible red meat price hikes due to ongoing foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks.

The Agri 5 Expo in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, showcased opportunities for small-scale and emerging farmers through access to technology, information, and financial services.

The 14th Windaba conference and exhibition was held at Cape Town International Convention Centre from 21 to 23 October, bringing together investors, government departments, service providers, and social activists, with exhibitors including engineering and installation companies, environmental organisations, and more.

As the rainy season approaches, Dr Hanri Bester-Cloete, state veterinarian in Bloemfontein, urges livestock farmers, especially sheep farmers, to vaccinate their animals against bluetongue, a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, which can cause serious financial losses.