News

Angola had set its sights on the global coffee market, and two companies have so far invested in the expansion of coffee production in the historical coffee-producing areas of that country.

Despite the cold weather being welcomed by Western Cape grain and fruit farmers, livestock producers have been urged to keep their animals warm as the temperature continues to drop.

Farmers speaking to politicians about stock theft, rather than reporting it to the South African Police Service (SAPS), is not helping the fight against rural crime. This was according to Willie Clack, chairperson of the National Stock Theft Prevention Forum, who was responding to calls for stronger action against stock thieves.

The rising unemployment rate, surging inflation and dissatisfaction with government are resulting in an increase in riots, especially those that turn violent. Speaking at the recent Mpumalanga Agriculture annual congress held in White River, political analyst Dr Frans Cronjé discussed the results of a study, which showed that support for the ANC was stagnating on the back of failing service delivery.

Rising input costs, biosecurity concerns, interest rate hikes, intensified geopolitical risks and ongoing weakness in municipal service delivery are taking their toll on agribusinesses, according to the Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index released on 13 June.

The post-harvest loss (PHL) of food was a serious cause for concern worldwide, particularly in Africa. Globally, approximately 1,3 billion tons of food produced for human consumption were lost every year after harvesting.

Plum production has become economically unviable with the majority of farmers suffering a loss over the past two seasons.

The World Bank has lowered its expectation of global economic growth for a third time since October, which bodes ill for South African farmers, according to Marlene Louw, senior agricultural economist at Absa AgriBusiness.

There is growing concern among South African poultry producers about ‘cheap’ chicken pieces being imported into South Africa. This was according to Izaak Breitenbach, head of the South African Poultry Association’s Broiler Organisation.

While organic fruit farming and the demand for organic produce have been growing steadily around the world, South African producers have been slow to adopt this style of production.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently announced its intention to provide vegetable seed to 23 000 families displaced by the armed conflict in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province.

The bull BBM 16 96 set a new South African record for a Bonsmara when he was sold for R2,1 million at the recent Poggenpoel Molopo Bonsmara Production Sale.

In a market that produces almost 700 million pigs a year, breeding pigs that have larger litters, reach slaughter weight quicker and require less feed can make a big difference.

The extension of the temporary relief of R1,50/l on the fuel levy by government to try and ease the pressure on South Africans following fuel price increases on Wednesday (1 June), has been widely welcomed.

The employment figures for the first quarter of 2022 announced by Statistics South Africa in its Quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS) on Monday (30 May) highlighted the importance of the agriculture sector as an employer in South Africa.

Following years of struggles, South African producers again started exporting citrus through the Port of Maputo in Mozambique in May.

The Auction of the National Limousin Champions was held on Water’s Edge farm on 21 May.

Some 5 000 farmers in Mufumbwe District in Zambia’s North-Western Province have profited from climate-smart agriculture as part of a project by the Save Environment and People Agency (SEPA) project, since its inception in 2004.

This season, South Africa is expected to harvest its largest soya bean crop on record, due to an expansion in area plantings and favourable rainfall in the eastern part of the country, according to Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz.

Protesting about delays in the implementation of the protected designation of origin product (PDO) status for halloumi cheese, goat and sheep farmers in Cyprus recently burnt bales of hay and poured milk on the road outside the island’s presidential palace.