SA poorly equipped to manage looming food, water shortages
South Africa is ill-equipped to deal with the existing food and water shortage crisis facing the country, according to Prof Louis Kotzé, environmental law expert at the Faculty of Law, on the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University.
Grain production regions desperate for rain
Grain producers are still concerned about the absence of significant rainfall, said Wandile Sihlobo, economist at Grain SA.
Investment in agriculture must increase
The agriculture sector globally has suffered a chronic shortage of investment, said Mark Holderness, executive secretary of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research.
Global demand for wool keeps prices high
Prospects for increased wool production and rising wool prices are positive, with the product in great demand worldwide, says HB van der Walt, newly-elected chairperson of the National Woolgrowers’ Association in the Eastern Cape.
Fresh produce quality generally good despite drought
The Institute of Market Agents of South Africa (IMASA) has reported that it has not received complaints from market agents regarding poorer quality fresh produce resulting from the current drought.
Climate change in the spotlight
The third Global Conference on Agricultural Research (GCARD3), hosted by South Africa’s Agricultural Research Council (ARC), is currently underway in Johannesburg.
Milk prices to increase by May due to drought
South African consumers will be paying more for milk from May, due to the drought and milk supply shortages.
ARC small grain production guidelines now available
The 2016 Agricultural Research Council guidelines for the production of small grains in the summer and winter grain production regions of SA were recently made available to the industry.
Summer grain crops lower in latest crop forecast
The Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) has set the expected size of the commercial maize crop at 7, 065 million tons, which is 2,63% or 190 475t less than the previous forecast of 7,256 million tons.
SANParks capture Sylvester the lion
The South African National Parks (SANParks) has tracked down the escaped lion, Sylvester, which escaped from the Karoo National Park last week.
Cost of basic food basket up 10%
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for February, released by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA), indicated headline CPI and food and non-alcoholic beverage price indices of 7% and 8,6 %, respectively, compared with the 6,2 % and 6,9 % in January.
IGA holds bi-annual growers’ symposium
The Intensive Growers’ Association, a forum for primarily KwaZulu-Natal’s producers of intensively farmed fresh produce, recently hosted its Autumn-Winter 2016 Bi-Annual Growers’ Symposium.
