Huge expectations from the State of the Nation Address
Solving South Africa’s energy crisis should be at the top of the agenda of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address on Thursday, 9 February, according to various agricultural...
Inclusion of Soetendalsvlei wetland in Agulhas park welcomed
Estuaries and wetlands are the most threatened and least protected ecosystems in South Africa. The inclusion of the Soetendalsvlei wetlands into the Agulhas National Park on World Wetlands Day earlier...
Shrinking populations could hurt SA’s agri exports
Population decline in South Africa’s biggest agricultural export markets is cause for concern, and young farmers should think carefully about which crops to grow in the future.
Macadamia farmers in for a four-year struggle
Trends in macadamia nut farming margins are showing a downward spiral of lower yields, lower prices and higher input costs. But with good management, farmers should be able to weather...
Tractor sales set to moderate after highs in 2022
Sales of agricultural machinery are not expected to reach the record highs of 2022 this year, as inflation rates and high input costs weigh on farmers.
Load-shedding and uncertainty threaten fruit processing industry
The fruit processing industry is experiencing tremendous challenges because of the power crisis and uncertainty over the future of Langeberg & Ashton Foods, according to Jacques Jordaan, CEO of the...
African swine fever spreads to commercial farm
Any outbreak of African swine fever (AFS) is a serious concern, but it is disconcerting that the latest outbreak in Gauteng has spread to a commercial pork production enterprise where...
Accusations of price gouging as US egg profits soar
The Farm Action organisation in the US has attributed record-breaking increases in the price of eggs not to inflation or avian influenza (bird flu), as claimed by egg companies, but...
‘South Africa is sitting on a bluetongue timebomb’
Bluetongue posed an extremely serious danger to sheep production in South Africa and the disease was expected to escalate markedly during the rest of summer and in early autumn of...
South Africa’s sheep farmers under pressure
South Africa’s sheep industry has continued to decline due to the effects of devastating drought in some parts of the country, as well as lower prices in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Poor economy and logistical problems take their toll on wine exports
Wine export volumes have declined by 5%, from 388.1 million in 2021 to 368,8 million litres in 2022, while export value dropped by 2,4%, from R10,2 billion to R9,9 billion,...
‘Eskom rocked by underinvestment and design flaws’
The declining Energy Availability Factor of Eskom’s fleet reflected the cumulative impact of historical underinvestment in maintenance and assets, exacerbated by flaws in the design of new power stations in...
