South Africa

Speaking at the recent Agbiz media day held in Pretoria, Agbiz CEO John Purchase, said the local agricultural sector was operating in a challenging and complex global economy.

South African consumers should brace themselves for a steep hike in the price of eggs, according to Paul Makube, senior agricultural economist at FNB Business.

The World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA) has introduced a free mobile app that helps users to explore Conservation Champion wine farms.

Thirty-six people have died out of more than 500 confirmed cases of listeriosis, a food-borne bacterial disease, in South Africa this year.

The expansion in South Africa’s agricultural sector during the third quarter of 2017, the second consecutive quarter of growth, contributed significantly to the 2% growth which the country’s economy showed during the period under review.

It is the daily responsibility of every South African farmer and resident to conserve the country’s precious soil resources.

The 2017/18 snakebite season was not yet in full swing yet a number of serious snakebites had already occurred.

The drought in the Western Cape was becoming a colossal challenge as the province headed into uncharted waters. This was according to the WWF’s Fresh Water senior manager, Christine Colvin.

After being positive for the previous five consecutive quarters, the general confidence of South Africa’s agribusiness sector slipped five points into negative territory in the fourth quarter of 2017.

There was great confusion about packaging and labelling requirements for imported poultry meat. This was revealed at a recent meeting in Johannesburg between EU delegates, Fair Play, and Country Bird Holdings (CBH), where the influence of alleged ‘dumping’ of EU poultry was discussed.

According to Andries Theron, chairperson of Grain SA’s winter cereals committee, and a farmer in the country’s primary wheat producing region, the Swartland in the Western Cape, conditions in the region were going from bad to worse.

Livestock farmers in the Northern Cape had thus far reduced their livestock numbers by more than 30% as a result of the persisting drought, according to Henk van Wyk, the president of Agri Northern Cape.

Consumers will have to be prepared to spend more on their favourite cuts of meat, or even go without it, this festive season.

Agri SA has announced that it will not participate in the march against farm murders on 25 November, which has been organised by AfriForum.

The North Gauteng High Court has dismissed an urgent interdict brought against the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) by suspended agriculture Director-General (DG), Mike Mlengana, but said that the case would be heard at a later stage.

When Deputy-President Cyril Ramaphosa talks about his Ankole cattle, a childlike joy and passion are evident. This was according to Daniel Naudé, a photographer who collaborated with Ramaphosa on his book Cattle of the Ages – Ankole Cattle in South Africa.

The criminal case between Piet Wolmarans, a Simmentaler stud breeder from Swartruggens in North West, and three of his neighbours over an outbreak of malignant catarrhal fever (snotsiekte) has been postponed in the regional magistrate’s court to 28 February.

Despite facing major challenges for its financial year ended 30 September 2017, South African integrated poultry company, Astral, was able to increase revenue 3% to R12,4 billion and increase operating profit 97% to R1,1 billion.

The Institute of Risk Management South Africa recently named agribusiness Senwes as the best in its ‘Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing’ category at a gala dinner at Gallagher Estate in Johannesburg.

Francis Patthey, chairperson of Samil Natural Fibres (Pty) Ltd asked his family, which has interests in the Alpaca industry in Peru and Switzerland and agribusinesses in Peru and Chili, as well as his business partners abroad, to donate funds to purchase animal feed for drought-stricken Angora farmers in need.