South Africa

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.

Mice and worm infestations in crops in the Swartland have been causing serious damage, with the cost of preventative measures and replanting already running into millions of rand.

A combination of “unsurprising” factors was creating negative sentiment among buyers, which resulted in the market for tractors and combine harvesters in South Africa not having a good year so far.

The Carbon Tax Act that was recently signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa, and came into effect on 1 June, could create opportunities for the local agriculture sector to invest in environmentally friendly practices and reduce its carbon footprint.

Every year 420 000 people die, while 600 million fall ill around the world as a result of consuming unsafe food, according to the UN’s World Health Organization.

It has been estimated that the recent foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in South Africa could cost the red meat value chain as much as R10 billion.

Output by the agriculture sector contracted 13,2% quarter-on-quarter in the first three months of 2019, thus contributing to overall negative economic growth of 3,2% for South Africa over this period.

It is expected that the new carbon tax to be levied on fuel, coupled with the expected local diesel price increase, would result in diesel consumers paying 20c/l more from Wednesday.

South Africa is currently engaging with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about declaring a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) containment zone.

An outbreak of anthrax has been reported in Qeme in Lesotho following the hospitalisation of more than 50 people in the area.

Stakeholders in the agriculture sector welcomed the amalgamation of the Ministry of Agriculture with the Ministry of Rural Development, as well as the newly appointed minister.

The deterioration of infrastructure in the Lekwa Local Municipality has led to water supply interruptions at Astral Foods Limited’s poultry processing plant near Standerton in Mpumalanga.

The Free State Umbrella Fire Protection Association (FSUPA) has developed a fuel danger rating to ensure the most effective assessment and fire suppression and prevention operations possible in the province.

Farmer’s Weekly editor Denene Erasmus has been awarded the inaugural Alltech International Award for Leadership in Agricultural Journalism from the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ).

The craft beer industry in South Africa has doubled in size over the past five years and there are now more than 220 brands on retail shelves.

Johan van der Schyff, an egg farmer from Plettenberg Bay, has been named as the Western Cape Young Farmer of the Year at a recent function held at Eensgezind, just outside Durbanville.

National agricultural union Agri SA has assured its members and the general public that it will continue its fight to have the potential exploration for and mining of South Africa’s terrestrial shale gas reserves, also known as fracking, stopped before it starts.

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane intends appealing the High Court ruling that declared the report into the Vrede Dairy Project “unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid”.

South Africa’s unemployment rate increased to the highest level since the third quarter of 2017, according to Statistics South Africa.

Confusion about the powers and functions of South Africa’s traditional leaders and government ownership of communal land came to the fore at a recent panel discussion between agricultural role players.