South Africa

A devastating pest, the blueberry bud mite (Acalitus vaccinii) has been detected in Mpumalanga.

An oversupply of garlic on local markets is currently dragging down the producer price.

The private sector in KwaZulu-Natal should work with the provincial department of agriculture and rural development to help black farmers transform their farming enterprises from small- to large-scale commercial production, according to the department’s MEC, Themba Mthembu.

Concerns have been expressed that feedlot margins could come under pressure going forward, especially if feed prices increased on the back of delayed summer plantings.

The private sector and agribusiness in particular, can play a major role in a turnaround strategy for South Africa.

The National Assembly recently passed a motion to establish an ad hoc committee to draft a Constitutional Amendment Bill to amend Section 25 of the Constitution to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation.

The agriculture sector will end 2018 on a mixed note as dry and hot weather conditions in many parts of South Africa create uncertainty for grain production, according to Wandile Sihlobo, head of agribusiness research at Agbiz. Sihlobo was speaking at the recent Agbiz media day held in Pretoria.

Gugile Nkwinti, the Minister of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), recently announced that farmers in the Western Cape would soon be allocated 90% of the water volume they were receiving before the province was hit by drought three years ago.

Positive performance in the agriculture sector in the third quarter (Q3) of 2018 has helped lift South Africa’s economy out of a technical recession.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has vowed to go to court if the Joint Constitutional Review Committee's (JCRC) report on expropriation is adopted by both houses of Parliament.

South Africa’s agribusiness confidence score for the fourth quarter has reached its lowest level since 2009 at 42 index points, according to the latest quarterly Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) report released earlier today.

Agribusiness NWK recently donated R250 000 to the South African Women’s Federation’s home for the aged in Zeerust.

The Western Cape's wildfire season officially starts on 1 December, and residents of the province have been urged to immediately report any fires and not to assume that they have been reported.

A cigarette manufacturer implicated in illicit trade estimated to cost South Africa an additional R1 billion in excise duties over the past three months, has again denied selling illegal products.

Diversified chemicals company, Omnia, has stated that the 75% drop in its operating profit for the half-year ended 30 September 2018, was largely attributable to the seasonal nature of its agriculture division’s revenue cycle, coupled with the volatility of the rand against the US dollar.

The estimated R1 billion in losses currently suffered by South African livestock industry as a result of stock theft, is expected to escalate as the incidences of stock theft increase in all provinces.

Before starting any farming venture, new farmers must plan how they will reach their goals and how they will manage all aspects of their farming operation, according to Cois Harman, winner of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) mentor of the year award.

Egg industry role players are meeting with government to ensure that ongoing egg imports are limited, now that the national layer flock have recovered sufficiently to meet domestic demand.

South Africa’s citrus industry experienced a particularly good season this year, despite water constraints and dry conditions in some major citrus-producing regions.

Role players in the domestic cotton and mohair industries have joined forces to ensure that a greater portion of natural fibres produced in South Africa are also processed and consumed here.