South Africa

It is not only primary producers who are struggling to survive the drought.

Soccer talent and prowess were evident at the recent Senwes Inter-provincial Soccer Tournament held in Klerksdorp, according to Senwes spokesperson Japie Fransman.

The severe drought across the country took its toll on winter crops and it is clear that this year's wheat harvest will be considerably smaller than the harvests of the previous five years.

The prolonged drought will continue to have a severe impact on the yield, availability and prices of grain and oilseed crops.

A new framework to eliminate rabies has been launched by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Alliance for the Control of Rabies (GARC).

Since the first alpacas were imported into South Africa 15 years ago, they have become increasingly visible among flocks of sheep in the Zastron district of the southern Free State (top right).

South Africa’s table grape growers are expecting a bumper harvest on the back of favourable weather conditions throughout the current growing season and due to well-developed and healthy vineyards.

Station commanders have been informed that part of their operations this festive season would be to do spot checks on firearm safes, according to a press release by Free State Agriculture (FSA).

An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been detected in Limpopo, according to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) has announced.

Growth in the agricultural industry declined by 12,6% in the third quarter of 2015, and agricultural economists fear the sector will struggle to pull itself out of recession in 2016.

The drought has left large parts of North West so dry that the landscape now resembles a desert.

Thanks to infrared video recorders and biotelemetry belts such as those used by athletes, researchers can now know exactly how stressed blue wildebeest can become when they are held in bomas prior to being moved.

Agribusiness company Senwes and Agri SA have established a drought disaster fund to provide assistance to farmers in distress.

Prof Karen Theron, horticulturalist and deciduous fruit expert, has received a Stellenbosch University Chancellor's Award for her outstanding service as a researcher in both the academic community and the country's horticulture industry.

Land Bank is currently reviewing the production loans of farmers affected by the drought with a view to carrying over debt to the next season.

Producers in the Western Cape have donated approximately 120t of feed to livestock producers experiencing severe grazing shortages after the winter’s below-average rainfall.

Agri Eastern Cape (Agri EC) president Douglas Stern has clarified his previous statements about government drought disaster aid for the province, which resulted in him coming in for criticism from the agriculture sector (‘We did not ask for drought relief – Eastern Cape farmers’; FW, 4 December 2015).

South Africa’s yellow maize imports have surpassed an 11-year record as the country struggles to meet local demand due to the drought.

South Africa is experiencing its worst drought in more than two decades and at the latest Nation in Conversation discussion participants from the agriculture sector spoke about its political, social and economic implications.

Vast tracks of arable land in Africa are lying fallow and under utilised. Developing these resources will enable Africa to provide for the world’s food needs in future.