Striking foresters burn down plantations
A wage dispute between Komatiland Forests (KLF) and their employees has led to the decimation of over 600ha of trees after strikers allegedly set fire to plantations.
Small fruit sizes hamper citrus exports
Farmers in Limpopo are likely to export a much smaller volume of citrus this year due to the persistent drought in the area which has resulted in reduced fruit sizes.
Pest mutations towards GM cotton discovered
Genetic mutations of cotton bollworm have been discovered in China following years of exposure to biotechnology.
Western Cape farmers fed up with farm inspections
Gerrit van Rensburg, the Western Cape MEC of agriculture, has lashed out at politicians for targeting farmers in the Western Cape with frequent farm visits to inspect working conditions on farms.
Fuel efficiency still a problem
Fuel prices decreased by about 89c/l for 93-octane petrol and 62,5c/l for 0,05% sulphur diesel at the start of July‚ as announced by the Department of Energy.
Closing in on land reform target numbers
Land expropriation without compensation is officially off the cards. But massive discrepancies exist between government rhetoric and actual land redistribution transfer figures, prompting a reassessment of land reform going forward. Lindi van Rooyen reports.
DairyBelle defends price cuts
Milk buyer DairyBelle announced a milk price reduction of between 50c/l and 75c/l to between R2,55/l and R3,10/l from 26 June. Jacques Fourie, DairyBelle’s acting CEO said the cuts were based on economics.
Inputs put the squeeze on wheat farmers
The latest input cost trend monitor by the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) paints a grim picture of the cost-price squeeze faced by wheat farmers, which has brought the industry to its knees.
Findings of Zita investigation must be made public
Two of South Africa’s largest farmers’ unions are calling for a capable director-general (DG) of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) to replace the recently suspended Langa Zita.
Access to food key to solving hunger problems
Emphasis on access instead of production may be the right way to solve food insecurity.
Municipal mess
Countrywide, municipal employees are insisting on big salary increases, yet delivering less and less.
Farmer accuses Environmental Affairs of unfair treatment
A farmer from the George district believes that the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape has too much power and that farmers should be warned about how “dangerously environmental laws can be implemented”.
