South Africa

A chemical leak at one of Astral’s processing plants in Olifantsfontein had resulted in the hospitalisation of 15 of the food manufacturer’s staff.

A group of growers from Ceres recently made the journey to Sutherland to support the hardest hit growers in the drought-stricken Karoo.

According to former president Kgalema Motlanthe, South Africa would not be able to build a thriving economy if private property rights became eroded.

The implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which was launched in July 2019 in Niger could help African countries with climate-smart agriculture adaptation through generating export earnings and accessing technologies.

Over the past 10 years, the fresh produce market value chain was estimated to have generated over R140 billion worth of turnover in the agriculture sector.

Disputes among land reform claimants and beneficiaries should be referred to existing formal land reform processes for arbitration, instead of parties resorting to violence.

The fire season is in full swing for the majority of South Africa, with dry conditions prevalent throughout the country.

The plundering of maize lands in the Free State has become a massive problem for farmers in the region, leading to the loss of millions of rand.

Two of South Africa’s largest ostrich processing and marketing companies, Klein Karoo International and Mosstrich, are contesting the Competition Commission’s (CompCom) decision taken earlier this year to prohibit their proposed merger.

There is cautious optimism that a government-subsidised crop insurance scheme will materialise in the near future, according to Jannie de Villiers, CEO of Grain SA.

A protest by farmworkers outside Oak Valley Estate near Grabouw is now in its seventh week. The strike action is being led by the Commercial, Stevedoring, Agricultural and Allied Workers Union that is demanding better wages and living conditions for farmworkers.

The Mohair Trust will consider making its stabilisation fund available to assist South Africa’s mohair farmers, who are currently reeling from the effects of adverse weather conditions, according to Davey Herold, chairperson of the trust.

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) was currently investigating several cases of theft of agricultural livestock at its St Albans and Middledrift correctional centres in the Eastern Cape.

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DARD) recently expanded its seed bank project to the North West. This was the third seed bank project in the country, with other sites located in Gumbu, Limpopo and Sterkspruit, Eastern Cape.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the year in Parliament on Thursday has been met with some scepticism, with many analysts saying the address was big on dreams, but lacked the necessary detail on how he plans to fix the challenges facing South Africa.

The exchange rate of the rand against major currencies along with higher commodity prices had played a significant role in the 0,3% month-on-month (m/m) increase in the consumer price index.

While nationwide sales of new tractors and combine harvesters have taken a knock this year, demand for used agricultural machinery is strong.

With South Africa now officially in the grip of winter, the country’s livestock farmers need to keep a constant close eye on short-term weather forecasts.

In his second State of the Nation Address this year, to be delivered in Parliament on Thursday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa it is expected to present a plan to address South Africans needs for the year ahead.

The 2019 Agribusiness Africa Conference, hosted by South Africa’s largest English language agricultural publication, Farmer’s Weekly, will bring together top speakers and a range of stakeholders from across the agriculture, agribusiness and trade platforms to delve into the dynamics of trade between farm gate and domestic, regional and international markets.