South Africa

It is expected that it will take years for South Africa’s craft distillers and brewers to recover from the nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and resultant prohibition on the sale of alcohol.

In this second part of a special two-part edition of the Weekly Wrap podcast, Dr John Purchase, CEO of Agbiz, in an interview with Farmer’s Weekly journalist Sabrina Dean, explains in more detail how the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and related restrictions have affected various farming industries and agribusinesses.

It has been a rough first few months of the year for the Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank).

President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced that South Africa will move to a Level 4 lockdown on Friday, 1 May.

In this special two-part edition of the Weekly Wrap podcast, Farmer’s Weekly journalist Sabrina Dean speaks to Dr John Purchase, CEO Agbiz, about how the COVID-19 lockdown has affected agribusiness and food supply in South Africa.

Farmer’s Weekly has good news for readers who have, during the national lockdown period, been eagerly awaiting the return of the weekly magazine. Even though printing of the magazine had to be further postponed due to the two-week lockdown extension, all readers will now have free access to two digital issues of Farmer’s Weekly magazine. The 1 May issue goes live 24 April and the 8 May issue will be published online on the final day of the lockdown, Thursday, 30 April.

The uncertainty about whether livestock auctions may go ahead during the countrywide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is receiving attention at national level.

Time has run out for smallholder and communal farmers to apply for relief funding from the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform (agriculture department).

A strong increase in global demand for citrus has so far been evident in the 2020 export season, according to Justin Chadwick, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa.

The countrywide lockdown enforced to contain the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic has offered a temporary respite for egg producers, as home-cooked meals and baking activities spike.

Numerous complaints have been received from farmers since the lockdown to contain the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic, about law enforcement authorities threatening to stop livestock auctions.

The Western Cape Department of Agriculture had made available a R10 million once-off grant for the establishment of a tissue culture facility in Paarl.

In this special edition of the Weekly Wrap podcast, Sabrina Dean speaks to Jaco Oosthuizen, CEO of the RSA Group, about the ‘new normal’ for fresh produce markets and market agents during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Farmers can expect a significant increase in the demand for online retail sales of food directly to end customers due to consumer behavioural changes that occurred during the current lockdowns in countries around the world to contain the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic.

Stakeholders in the agriculture sector have expressed concern about the increase in theft of agricultural commodities during the lockdown period for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic, which is resulting in millions of rand in losses.

The sellers of foodstuffs, who exploit South Africans currently under lockdown restrictions by unjustifiably hiking prices of high-demand staples, will face serious consequences, such as hefty fines and imprisonment.

In this second episode of our special coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic podcast Farmer’s Weekly SA editor, Denene Erasmus again highlights how the publication has adapted to keep readers up to date with news and information relevant to the sector and the public at large during this critical period.

Prior to the national lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), stakeholders in South Africa’s agriculture industry had already started engaging with government about measures that would enable food security and prevent scenarios such as food riots.

Unlike highly perishable and other food crops, wool is considered a non-essential agricultural product.

Smallholder farmers have expressed disappointment with the application process for receiving financial relief from the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (department of agriculture) during the lockdown period which was implemented to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.