South Africa

Glyphosate-based herbicide is now the most widely and heavily applied weedkiller in the history of global chemical agriculture.

Livestock producers have been advised to vaccinate livestock against Rift Valley fever (RVF) following recent rainfall in some of the drought-stricken areas of South Africa.

McCain SA has decided to redirect all of its edible waste to livestock farmers in drought affected areas.

A serious setback has hit the Boere in Nood (Farmers in Need) group after a truck and trailers carrying bales to farmers, caught on fire between Theunissen and Brandfort.

Two wines from Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines, based in Riebeek Kasteel in the Swartland region, were recently served to French president Francois Hollande at a lunch in New Delhi on India's Republic Day.

Fruit company Capespan has acquired a 35% stake in one of India’s largest fruit distributors, the family-owned business, Yupaa Group.

The department of labour has announced an increase to the minimum wages for farm workers as of 1 March.

The pump price of 95 Octane and 93 Octane petrol increased by 6c/l on 3 February, with the wholesale price of diesel decreasing by 62c/l (0,05% sulphur) and 63c/l (0,005% sulphur).

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) has said that South Africa’s drought-stricken freshwater resources are also being sapped by invasive alien plant species.

The surviving victim of the sixth farm attack to take place in the Free State in 2016, Cecelia Cilliers from Rouxville, was in a critical but stable condition in a Bloemfontein hospital, according to Tommie Esterhuize, Free State Agriculture (FSA) Safety and Security chairperson.

Parliament’s portfolio committee on public works recently held its first meeting of the year on the controversial Expropriation Bill, and while ANC MPs on the committee backed the revised bill, opposition parties objected to numerous clauses during a clause-by-clause reading of the bill.

A large outbreak of brucellosis among livestock on a dairy farm in the Hoekwil area of the Western Cape has been reported.

Almost 25% less maize has been planted compared to last season, according to the preliminary production forecast for summer crops from the Crop Estimates Committee (CEC).

The South African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) represented the agriculture sector at the 46th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, recently.

In a University of Cambridge report, scientists argue that swill feeding pigs could be a strategy to meet the demand for livestock products over the next half century.

Although the Hope Grass Project (HGP) sprang to life just over two weeks ago, more than 1 000 fodder bales and untold quantities of grass cuttings have already been received for distribution to drought-stricken livestock farmers.

The possible effects of uranium mining in the Karoo are even more terrifying than those of shale gas extraction by means of hydraulic fracturing (fracking), according to Graaff-Reinet hydro-geologist Dr Stefan Cramer.

It is still a good time to invest in agriculture, said Ernst Janovksy, head of Absa Agribusiness, at the recent Alzu Hay Day near Middelburg.

Unemployed graduates need to get their CVs up to date – and not sit around and wait for their ‘uncle’ in government to provide them with jobs, said Prof Steven Worth from UKZN’s Agricultural Extension & Rural Resource Management unit at the summit for unemployed agricultural graduates.

Southern Africa has about 1 700 different native trees. Annelie Coleman investigated a few of the most common trees found in the Free State and North West and compiled notes on some of them.