Western Cape scrambles to take on oriental fruit fly
All hands are reportedly on deck to speedily eradicate the oriental fruit fly (OFF) outbreak that was identified recently in the Western Cape’s Grabouw area.
SONA 2018, Agri leaders speak out
Although several role players in organised agriculture have welcomed the appointment of Cyril Ramaphosa as president of South Africa, and were positive about the main thrust of his first State...
NWGA to offer training courses in Eastern Cape
The National Wool Growers Association plans to conduct nine training courses in various districts of rural areas of the Eastern Cape during February and March.
No end to listeria outbreak
South Africa is still in the midst of a listeria outbreak, with no sign of cases decreasing. As of 15 February, there had been 167 confirmed deaths and over 800...
Charles Back still positive after brutal farm attack
Messages of support have been flooding in for 2017 Agricultural Writers SA National Farmer of the Year, Charles Back, owner of Fairview near Paarl, following a brutal attack by three...
Agriculture jobs decline 8% from 2016
Despite a slight uptick in the number of agriculture jobs created in the fourth quarter of 2017, the sector recorded the second-highest number of jobs lost on a year-to-year basis.
January tractor sales up but combine harvester sales down
January 2018 tractor sales of 527 units were 10,3% up on the January 2017 figure of 478 units. However, last month’s combine harvester sales of eight units were half the...
Better veld management a boon for livestock farmers
Degradation of natural resources, particularly grazing, seriously threatened the livelihoods of South African livestock producers on smallholdings and under communal grazing conditions.
New smartphone apps to help farmers
Three new smartphone apps were introduced at a recent Agbiz apps workshop, that could benefit both commercial and smallholder farmers.
Another two ARC execs resign
Two more executives have resigned from the Agricultural Research Council (ARC). The ARC confirmed this in response to a follow-up query by Farmer’s Weekly.
Free State Agriculture promises to listen to farmers’ needs
Free State Agriculture (FSA) is determined to give a voice to the province’s farmers, according to Francois Wilken, president of the organisation.
‘Sin tax’ for sugar will cause job losses – SASA
The health promotion levy (HPL) on the sugar content of sweetened beverages will be announced by Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba in his budget speech for the 2018/2019 financial year.
KZN urban farming project aims to combat crime
Stakeholders in an urban agricultural development in KwaZulu-Natal’s Pinetown area are hoping to reduce local crime by converting an overgrown green belt into productive farmland.
#SONA2018 predictions from agri leaders
As preparations begin for the much-anticipated State of the Nation Address (SONA) on February 8, 2018, we asked leaders in agri for their predictions.
Slight relief for Kouga Dam following good rainfall
Good rainfall less than two weeks ago in the catchment area of the Kouga Dam near Patensie in the Eastern Cape, has resulted in an increase in the dam’s water...
Reduced summer grain planting ‘not a surprise’
In its latest estimate for 2017/2018, the Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) has reduced the area planted to commercial maize in South Africa.
Competition Tribunal approves inter-company ammonia sales
Four South African chemicals companies have received approval from the country’s Competition Tribunal (CompTrib) to continue with their arrangement to trade ammonia between each other.
Uncertain weather prospects for SA’s summer rainfall region
The current El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is in a weak La Niña phase, which is expected to continue until early autumn, according to Weather SA’s long-term weather forecaster, Cobus Olivier.
Ramaphosa: ‘South Africa is open for investment’
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa used the 2018 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, to assure foreign governments and international private sector investors that South Africa was open for business.
DRDLR advertises for new DG
The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) has confirmed that it has started advertising for a new director-general (DG).
