Ban on live cattle exports to Namibia lifted

South Africa has resumed live cattle exports to Namibia, following the issuing of revised import documentation by that country’s authorities.

AGOA threatens SA poultry sector jobs

Jobs in the poultry sector will reduce if chicken imports into South Africa increase.

UK votes to withdraw from the EU

UK citizens have voted in favour of leaving the European Union (EU) in a referendum held on Thursday.

Agriculture students call for job creation

The availability of jobs for graduates in the agricultural sector was one of the main concerns raised during a recent dialogue between government and agricultural students held at Elsenburg.

African horse sickness movement controls lifted

Movement restriction that were imposed in the African horse sickness (AHS) surveillance zone to contain the recent outbreak of AHS in the Boland region has been lifted, according to a...

Brexit decision could affect SA’s trade relationship with the UK

On Thursday the British public will decide in a referendum whether the UK should remain a member of the European Union (EU).

Mike Mlengana to take over as director-general of DAFF

It was recently announced that Mike Mlengana, former president of the African Farmers’ Association of South Africa (AFASA), will take over the reins as director-general of the Department of Agriculture,...

Moratorium on rhino horn trade reinstated

According to a statement recently released by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), the moratorium on domestic trade in rhino horn has been reinstated after Edna Molewa, minister of the...

Free State water crisis worsening

The water crisis in the Free State is worsening, according to Roelf Jacobs, a member of Free State Agriculture’s Water and Irrigation Committee.

KwaZulu-Natal farmer donates 800 bales

Nottingham Road potato and maize farmer, JJ van de Velde, has donated 800 bales of hay to drought-stricken farmers in KwaZulu-Natal.

Paralysis tick outbreaks reported in the Karoo

Several Angora goats are reported to have died in the past week due to outbreaks of the Karoo paralysis tick (Ixodes rubicundus).

New dragon fruit varieties for SA growers

Dragon fruit is not well-known in South Africa, but the people behind a new venture based in Limpopo believe this niche fruit offers attractive commercial potential for local farmers.

BKB acquires majority shareholding in Fruits du Sud

BKB has acquired the majority shareholding in Upington-based raisin and fruit mince supplier, Fruits du Sud, for an undisclosed amount, thereby expanding its foothold in the Northern Cape.

Two recipients receive Agbiz Honorary Award

At the South African Agriculture Business Chamber’s (Agbiz) biannual congress held in Somerset West recently, two recipients were awarded the Agbiz Honorary Award for their services to agriculture.

First commercially-grown black truffles for KZN

Three black Périgord truffles (Tuber melanosporum) were discovered on Max Bastard’s Willowdale Farm near Kokstad in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

Select for fertility above all, urges geneticist

Fertility is without question the most important trait that beef cattle producers should select for, according to Prof Frikkie Neser, geneticist at the University of the Free State.

El Niño weakening, but rain stays away

Although El Niño has been showing signs of weakening, high temperatures and late rains in most of the Western Cape could have had an effect on winter grain and fodder...

Frustration as government fails to declare drought a national disaster

Speaking at a recent meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Task Team (IMTT), Des van Rooyen, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), said that eight provinces have been declared drought...

Agribusiness confidence index at record negative levels

The latest Agribusiness Confidence Index for the first quarter of 2016 showed that the long-term outlook for the sector remained at record negative levels.

Tractor and combine harvester sales up for May

Tractor and combine harvester sales for May are up compared to the corresponding period last year, but on a year-to-date basis sales are still low, Wynn Dedwith, chairman of the...

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