South Africa

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.

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).