News

As the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine rollout begins to yield positive results, an outbreak at a recent livestock auction in the Free State has drawn criticism from Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen.

Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen recently recognised South Africa’s world champion wool shearing team, Bonile Rabela and Teboho Nyatsa, for winning gold and silver, respectively, at the Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships held in Masterton, New Zealand, in March.

The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ), in partnership with CropLife Africa Middle East (AME), launched a webinar series on 1 April, with the first session placing biological crop protection at the centre of discussions on agricultural innovation across the region.

South Africa’s proposed national vaccination scheme for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is facing strong opposition from veterinary organisations, which warn that the plan, in its current form, could fail to contain the disease and expose government to legal risk.

International animal health authorities have issued urgent warnings after a historically African strain of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) spread into parts of Europe, Asia and the Middle East, raising concerns about economic fallout and weaknesses in global preparedness.

A South African biotechnology collaboration has commercialised a key protein used to produce lab-grown meat. The development is not expected to pose an immediate threat to conventional livestock farming and may create new opportunities in the emerging cultivated meat value chain.

South African farmers and small business owners across the continent should diversify their offerings and capitalise on growing consumer demand for organic and natural products.

The Zimbabwean government is urging the domestic hemp industry to turn the regulatory framework introduced in 2020 into tangible commercial output and profitability.

The importance of agriculture that provides the basis for so many organic and natural products once again stood out at the 2026 Organic and Natural Products Expo Africa. The event took place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre earlier this month.

Epic, a Savanna ram, set a new South African small-stock record when he sold for R2,05 million at the Black-Tie Blue Blood auction last week.

A group of farmers in the Vergenoeg area, between Balmoral in Mpumalanga and Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng, have raised concerns following the re-administration of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccinations to their cattle just four weeks after an initial immunisation by state veterinary services.

Mohair South Africa hosted a farmers’ day on 14 April at the Showroom Theatre in Prince Albert, Western Cape, where producers were brought up to speed on how climate policy, emissions reporting, and ethical sourcing requirements are reshaping demand for natural fibres.

The Supreme Court of Appeal has reaffirmed that market value must be the starting point when determining compensation for expropriated property.

Agriculture gained increased visibility at the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Brazil in November 2025, but progress in formal negotiations remained limited.

Agri Western Cape (AWC) held its penultimate annual regional congress on 15 April at the Swartland Winery in Malmesbury, where it addressed issues it had identified, along with other topics and queries raised by representatives of agricultural organisations.

Pressure is mounting on the Department of Agriculture (DoA) over its handling of the proposed Section 10 framework for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), as legal challenges and concerns about the public consultation process converge.

The National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) has called on the minister of correctional services and the department’s national commissioner to urgently address animal welfare concerns at agricultural correctional facilities across South Africa.

South Africa’s citrus industry is set for another strong season this year, with higher export volumes expected. According to Dr Boitshoko Ntshabele, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa, harvesting and exports are set to ramp up in the coming weeks.

With 2026 declared the International Year of the Woman Farmer by the UN, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is stepping up efforts to recognise and empower women in agriculture across the province.

While Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen highlights growing vaccine supply and a coordinated national response, farmers say rollout delays, missed deadlines, and patchy delivery are undermining trust at a critical point in South Africa’s foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) crisis.