News

The US House of Representatives has approved a three-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, temporarily easing trade disruption fears for sub-Saharan Africa. South Africa’s agriculture sector has welcomed the move, but the country’s beneficiary status remains uncertain.

Western Cape Minister for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Anton Bredell will approach the provincial cabinet to motivate for a disaster classification as ongoing drought and wildfires continue to cause damage across the southern parts of the province.

Interest in agricultural careers among high school learners continues to grow. Several school principals spoke to Farmer’s Weekly about the matric results at their schools, indicating that pupils are increasingly looking to the agriculture sector for their future.

South African livestock producers are reporting a concerning increase in sudden calf deaths linked to a condition known as ‘tiger heart’. This post-mortem finding is increasingly associated with active foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks.

South Africa’s pork industry has been placed on heightened alert following the confirmation of a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) case in a commercial piggery in the north-western Free State, with additional highly suspicious cases under investigation in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

The Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture (the department) has intensified its efforts to contain the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), with Agriculture MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe launching a province-wide awareness and compliance campaign targeting farmers in rural communities.

As thousands of travellers return to South Africa this week after the festive season, the Border Management Authority has issued a strong warning about bringing agricultural products back into the country.

Catastrophic floods are predicted for the Mpumalanga Lowveld next week, with rainfall of between 500mm and 800mm forecast for the period from 9 to 14 January.

Zimbabwe's dairy sector is on a rebound, with the country hoping to build on increasing milk production to surpass its national annual requirements.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a new group of commissioners to the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), marking the start of a new five-year term that will run from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030.

Prospects for a positive 2026 are improving as lower input costs are expected for the agriculture sector and bumper grain crops seem likely. Loffie Brandt, head of sales enablement at Absa AgriBusiness, spoke to Farmer’s Weekly about how farmers can take advantage of opportunities in the new year.

South African farmers are struggling to claim compensation or reclaim their farms that were seized during Zimbabwe's land reform exercise launched in 2000 by then-President Robert Mugabe.

As about 90% of South Africa's summer grain crops, including sunflower, are predominantly rainfed, climate changes and rainfall patterns have a major impact on production. When looking at the 2025/26 season, the production outlook is cautiously optimistic for grain farmers.

Around the world, soya beans are in high demand for livestock feed and as a plant-based source of protein for human consumption, offering high protein content without cholesterol or saturated fats.

Dry beans are important for crop rotation and make a significant contribution to the country’s economy, as domestically grown beans are also in demand internationally.

Thirty women researchers, nine of whom are conducting research that benefits the agricultural sector, have received the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents Sub-Saharan Africa Award.

The confirmation of a new foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) case in Amahlathi Local Municipality in the Amathole district has once again placed the Eastern Cape at the centre of South Africa’s escalating animal health crisis.

When household budgets tighten, ethical consumption is often the first casualty. Yet in agriculture, periods of economic strain are when fair trading relationships matter most. South Africa’s Fairtrade industry shows how trade-based interventions can strengthen producer and worker resilience.

A small recovery in local sugar production coincided with a steep drop in the international sugar price, and slow government response to the volatile international market resulted in record sugar imports during 2025.

It was a year of extremes for South African weather, with unusually wet conditions in parts of the summer rainfall areas, while winter cropping areas felt the pinch of below-average rainfall.