South Africa

The white maize price reached R5 020/t on 16 January 2015, the highest level achieved since trading in white maize started in 1996.

To avoid an economic and humanitarian disaster government needs to take urgent action and declare a national disaster.

According to statistics released by Free State Agriculture’s Safety Desk, 79 farm attacks took place in the province in 2015, compared to 36 in 2013 and 52 in 2014.

Agri SA will be taking over management of the Drought Disaster Fund which was originally initiated by Senwes in association with Agri SA.

According to a World Bank global financial development report, nearly half of the world’s farmers do not have a bank account or do not use of mobile money platforms.

A national antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance programme has reportedly identified and confirmed the first ever known case in South Africa of resistance to Colistin.

SA runs the risk of losing its duty-free benefits for goods exported to the US as part of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

The planting window for maize in the summer production areas has expired, with only about 50% of the four million hectares earmarked for maize production planted.

The Department of Trade And Industry’s (DTI) Twitter account buzzed last night (7 January) with news that an agreement has been reached between South Africa and the US on AGOA.

Olives the size of small plums were recently introduced to industry role players in Cape Town by the Consortium for the Protection of La Bella della Daunia PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) table olives.

Specialist bank Investec has invited up-and-coming agricultural entrepreneurs to submit applications to qualify for a one-week trip to Israel from 14 to 21 March 2016.

The South African Poultry Association (SAPA) said it welcomed the participation of the US poultry industry in the local market through the import of chicken.

The government of Zambia has encouraged farmers to diversify their farming operations in an attempt to cope with the effects and risks of climate change.

An initiative by the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO) has resulted in a practical-orientated part-time course towards a National Diploma in Livestock Production (NDLP) becoming available to prospective farmers.

South Africa recently exported its first consignment of litchis to the US.

Minister of trade and industry Rob Davies today told journalists at a press meeting that agricultural goods such as citrus, macadamia, canned fruit, wine and avocadoes may be subject to exclusion from AGOA if an agreement is not reached between the US and SA.

Most weather forecasting models indicate the continuation of a strong El Niño episode, causing lower-than-normal chances of rain towards the late-summer season in 2016, according to Cobus Olivier of the South African Weather Service.

The agriculture industry’s water footprint is expected to play an increasingly important role in the future. A responsible footprint will add markedly to water conservation in a dry country such as South Africa, Dr Henry Jordaan, senior lecturer at the University of the Free State’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, told Annelie Coleman.

The ANC started 2015 with a call for the expropriation bill to be finalised and implemented to help speed up the land reform process.

A driven hunt in Limpopo caused uproar after M-Net’s Carte Blanche ran an insert about the planned hunt, “with scant regard to providing adequate facts” on the legality of the recognised sport, the SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association (SAHGCA)said.