South Africa

Only 19 200ha had been planted to peanuts in the 2018/2019 production season, which is the smallest area on record, according to Grain SA head economist, Luan van der Walt.

South Africa is not immune to events in the global economy and the expected slowdown in world economic growth will constrain the country’s export growth forecast, leading to a weaker economic outlook.

The allocation from National Treasury to the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) will decrease from just under R11 billion in 2019/2020 to R10,67 billion in the 2020/21 fiscal year, before increasing again to R11,35 million in 2021/2022, according to the Estimates of National Expenditure that was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday along with the 2019 budget by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni.

The national budget for the 2019/2020 fiscal year, which was tabled by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni in Parliament on Wednesday, represented, according to the minister, a financial and spending plan for South Africa that was “in the interest of our people and our country, and not in the narrow objectives of any political party”.

While the 25% decline in rhino poaching incidences in South Africa between 2017 and 2018 should be cause for celebration, some are calling into question the accuracy of these latest figures.

Timeous and effective government assistance for South Africa’s farmers to survive ongoing drought conditions is one of the key aspects that major agricultural organisations are hoping will be highlighted in Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni’s 2019/2020 National Budget Speech on Wednesday.

Organised agricultural organisations have expressed serious concern that any further load-shedding carried out by Eskom during important production periods could negatively impact the profitably of farmers and the affordability of food for South Africans.

The recent foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Limpopo, and the subsequent loss of South Africa's FMD-free status, has had a major impact on South Africa’s hide and skin industry.

Pig producers globally experienced a difficult year in 2018, and 2019 is expected to be just as unpredictable, according to Gianluca Avino, commercial director of Genus International in Italy.

Widespread drought conditions across South Africa’s summer grain production regions have been cited as the primary cause of the significant drop in tractor and combine harvester sales in January.

Horse owners have been cautioned to implement strict biosecurity measures in an effort to contain the current outbreak of African horse sickness (AHS) in South Africa.

“Strategically located land will be released to address human settlement needs in urban and peri-urban areas,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday evening.

Free State Agriculture (FSA) has welcomed the news that the province has been declared a drought disaster area.

Farmers can no longer rely on the expected increase in demand for food globally to ensure future profitability. Producer prices would remain flat for some time, and to stay in business farmers would have to increase their profitability margins.

Expansion of human settlement in rural areas could threaten agricultural potential, according to a recent report released by Wandile Sihlobo, head of economic and agribusiness intelligence at Agbiz.

Organised agricultural bodies are expecting President Cyril Ramaphosa to address the various aspects of land reform in his 2019 State of the Nation Address...

A newly formed company, Milco SA, has announced that it would make an offer to acquire the entire issued share capital of Clover Industries...

The decline in farm murders during 2018 could largely be attributed to residents on farms being better trained to defend themselves.

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s (JSE) location differential system was the main topic of discussion at Grain SA’s three annual meetings held in South Africa’s winter rainfall regions.

South Africa’s summer grain farmers have planted 180 000ha less maize than originally intended for the current production season, according to the Crop Estimates Committee’s (CEC) preliminary area estimate for summer grain crops.