South Africa

More than R380 million that could have been used to assist farmers during the drought has not been spent. This was revealed during a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee meeting in which the committee was given an account of how Treasury and other departments had assisted farmers during the drought.

Citrus production is a long-term investment, requiring technical expertise to ensure profitability. As a result, new entrants to the industry need to be trained, educated and mentored in order to become competitive and sustainable.

The South African agricultural sector would benefit if subsidies to EU farmers are cut significantly, according to Dr John Purchase, CEO of Agbiz.

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has announced an additional 10% water restriction on agricultural water use that will remain in force until dam levels reach 85% of capacity.

Thirteen cattle herds in the Eastern Cape have been placed in quarantine after testing positive for brucellosis.

Fall armyworm (FAW) has now spread to potato crops, with the first infestation reported in the Loskop Valley near Marble Hall in Mpumalanga on 23 February.

Torrential rains during the past fortnight have filled dams across much of the summer rainfall area in South Africa, but more rain is needed for some parts of the country.

While reportedly heartened by President Jacob Zuma’s and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s recent stated support for renewable energy expansion, the South African Renewable Energy Council (SAREC) has accused national power utility, Eskom, of failing to prioritise this expansion.

The production estimate for South Africa’s summer crops over the 2016/17 season has risen 72,47%, due to widespread rains since the start of spring last year.

There has been a notable decline in rhino poaching incidents in South Africa’s national parks, but poachers might be shifting their focus to private owners.

Free State Agriculture (FSA) Young Farmer of the Year finalists are Willie Stols from Vierfontein, Johan van Huyssteen from Virginia, and Herman Archer from Trompsburg.

Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, recently announced an 8,8% increase in excise duties on wine and sparkling wine, and an 8,5% increase on spirits.

Radical economic transformation was the main focus of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s 2017 Budget Speech.

Government is in the process of drafting regulations for the production of medicinal marijuana in South Africa.

Local and overseas demand for South African avocados has grown substantially over the past five years, according to Subtrop CEO, Derek Donkin.

ZAR X, South Africa’s first additional stock exchange in almost 60 years, recently launched its operations with the listing of Senwes and its holding company, Senwesbel.

Based on reports from various agricultural organisations along the eastern borders of South Africa, the much-hyped Cyclone Dineo, which battered parts of Mozambique with strong winds and rain, caused very few problems locally.

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Approved Storage Operator supports the issuing of JSE Guaranteed Grade (GG) wheat certificates.

Outbreaks of lumpy skin disease and three-day stiff sickness have been widely reported across South Africa’s summer rainfall region, following good rains in that area.

Large-scale veld fires in 2017 would be devastating to agriculture. Therefore, ongoing communication and cooperation between all role players in veld fire prevention is essential.