News

The extension of the Level 4 COVID-19-related lockdown restrictions for another two weeks until 25 July will further exacerbate the crisis in the wine industry, with many wine businesses facing closure

The violent protests and looting sweeping South Africa at present have far-reaching implications for the agricultural industry.

Many farmworkers in the north-western US have started working during the night to avoid temperatures as high as 42°C, due to an unprecedent heatwave that has engulfed this region of North America since late June.

The blueberry industry could see double-digit growth if quality and consistency issues currently plaguing the sector are addressed.

The recent foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in KwaZulu-Natal had not spread to the rest of the province and was still largely contained in the municipal districts of King Cetshwayo, Umnkhanyakude and Zululand.

With the Cottonlands Egg Hub in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal nearing completion and preparing to start full operation later this month, egg producers in eThekwini are urged to register their businesses on the eThekwini Municipality’s agribusiness department database to access market opportunities.

Farmers should not express their anger about protracted stock theft cases on social media, as this could set their cases back years, and put further strain on their wallets and the legal system.

The strong year-on-year price increase for potatoes during June was driven, in part, by the decrease in stock levels due to excessive rain and low summer temperatures in some of the planting regions earlier this year.

The expected increase in the fuel price for July will have a negative impact on a number of value chains in the agriculture sector that are currently active, such as producers completing the harvesting and planting processes for summer and winter grains, as well as oilseeds.

The entire European population could be fed without the need to rely on food imports by 2050. This was according to a new study conducted by the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France.

Despite physical livestock auctions being prohibited under South Africa’s adjusted Level 4 lockdown regulations, some auction houses still held auctions on Monday, 28 June and Tuesday, 29 June.

Guava production in the northern regions of South Africa has more than halved over the past decade due to the devastating impact of guava wilt disease.

The agriculture sector needs clarity, as a matter of urgency, on a clause in the Level 4 lockdown regulations announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday, 27 June, that says “gatherings at auctions are not permitted”.

In May, South Africa’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) headline inflation reached the highest level since November 2018 and food price inflation rose to its highest point since July 2017.

More than 42 000ha have so far been lost to veld fires in the Free State this year, compared with just under 3 900ha during the same period in 2020.

Stakeholders in the UK’s meat sector have warned that the country could face shortages of locally produced meat if the problems currently encountered with recruiting workers continued.

Agri SA wants agriculture to be classified as a COVID-19 vaccination priority to enable workers in the sector to become vaccinated as soon as possible.

South Africa’s summer grain harvesting is progressing well in the 2021/2022 marketing season, with maize harvesting in particular being completed at a much faster rate than at the same time last year.

Grain SA’s newly appointed CEO, Dr Pieter Taljaard, plans to help all grain farmers utilise technology in growing their businesses, while fostering good relationships within the value chain.

A livestock traceability system in Zimbabwe is crucial to gain access to global markets and improve the national herd’s health status. This was according to the country’s deputy minister of agriculture Vangelis Haritotod.