South Africa

Gauteng MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, accompanied by the Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Johannesburg, Pan Qingjiang launched a tree-planting initiative on Wednesday.

Government and private sector will have to work together to get real results from the recently signed the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan.

The Competition Commission released its final report on the Fresh Produce Market Inquiry (FPMI). Retailers have, for the most part, been cleared of any wrongdoing regarding price gouging or keeping new or small-scale farmers out of this market.

Despite some temperature variability during spring 2024, conditions have stabilised, resulting in a positive outlook for raisin production.

Ostrich production is expected to increase by roughly 7% from 140 000 birds slaughtered in the 2023/24 season to 150 000 in the 2024/25 season.

The Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) has released its first-ever Red Meat Industry Report, providing a detailed analysis of the trends shaping supply, demand, and prices.

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a warning for heavy rainfall across Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, with the potential for severe flooding, property damage, and disruption of essential services. The adverse weather is expected to persist throughout the week.

The South African sugar industry is bracing for a transformative year in 2025 as stakeholders advance into the next phase of the Sugar Value Chain Master Plan to 2030.

Potatoes SA has warned against panic over potato supply amid a year of adverse weather. In 2024, potatoes reached record-high prices as black frost in Limpopo and drought in the Free State curtailed harvests towards the end of winter.

Various trends will reshape the global agribusiness environment over the next 10 years. These trends include agriculture in controlled environments, such as tunnels and greenhouses, which could counter seasonal production advantages, the rise of digital agriculture, artificial intelligence, the use of blockchain and big data, and a return to mechanical weed control using robots.

The past year saw an increase in the number of countries allowing for the cultivation and import of crops that have been genetically engineered (GE).

South African tractor sales increased by 17% to 9 181 units in 2022, making it the highest annual sales figure in the past 40 years, said Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz, in his recent market analysis.