News

Outbreaks of green longhorn grasshoppers, also known as katydids or bush crickets, were recently reported in several areas across Mpumalanga, including Aerorand, Rondebosch, Kanonkop, Emalahleni, and Middelburg.

US President Donald Trump announced on 2 April that he would impose at least a 10% tariff on all exports to the United States, with some 60 nations, including key trading partners like China, the European Union, Japan, and Vietnam, facing even higher duties.

South Africa’s tractor park has been growing steadily in size and power over the past 20 years, reflecting the need for greater efficiency, particularly in areas with short planting windows.

A new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been confirmed in Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal, bringing the province's total to 147 active outbreaks out of the 165 reported in South Africa.

Parts of the UK have been placed in an ‘avian influenza protection zone’ following the detection of the world's first case of the disease in sheep. BBC News reported that according to the country’s chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, “strict measures had been put in place to prevent the further spread of the disease”, commonly known as bird flu.

South Africa is looking forward to growing avocado exports to China during the coming season. This followed after the Chinese market opened up to South African avocado exports.

The yields for all summer crops have been revised upward in the recently released second production forecast of the Crop Estimates Committee (CEC).

The Competition Commission’s Fresh Produce Market Inquiry (FPMI) report, which was released in January, offered some valuable insights, but some recommendations were deemed unrealistic and impractical by industry experts.

Beef from grass-fed cattle is often touted as being more environmentally friendly than that produced by cattle in feedlots, as the former is considered less carbon intensive. However, the findings of a new study say otherwise.

Famers have been warned to prepare for a second strike of African armyworm (Spodoptera exempta) during this or next week (week of 31 March).

South Africa should forget the US and instead focus its attention on growing export markets in Africa and the East. This was the sentiment expressed by speakers at the AgBusiness day of the Africa Agri Tech conference that took place from 18 to 20 March in Pretoria.

South Africa’s status as a net exporter of food and a leading player in high-value horticultural export markets contradicts the fact that it has always been a water-scarce country, subject to periodic droughts and erratic rainfall patterns, according to Arno Abeln, managing director at Agrimark Operations.

The South African Veterinary Council (SAVC) has called for more veterinary training facilities to be built, and for fewer bureaucratic rules to be imposed on the industry.

South Africa is ripe for disinformation campaigns about agriculture that could cripple food production and innovation.

New cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) have been detected in the Newcastle area of KwaZulu-Natal. The outbreak has now spread beyond the boundaries of the original Disease Management Area (DMA), prompting immediate action from authorities.

South Africa is moving closer to implementing a full traceability system for the red meat sector. It is hoped that this will assist meat exports and boost dwindling margins in the industry.

Cornelis Bester from Heidelberg took the laurels in this year’s Goliat van Gat Pumpkin Festival, hosted by the Cullinan Farmers’ Union, with a whopper of a 445kg pumpkin. Bester named the gigantic pumpkin Grietjie after his mother, Magriet Bester.

South African agricultural businesses are relatively upbeat, judged by the recently released Agbiz/IDC Confidence Index (ACI).

Germany has extended funding for an environment protection project in Namibia for five years.

The wine industry in Napa Valley, California, in the US is showcasing how farmers can integrate artificial intelligence (AI) technology efficiently to supplement labour without displacing a workforce.