South Africa

The situation in the two North West district municipalities, Ngaka Modiri Molema and Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, has not changed as the municipalities were still experiencing a severe drought.

Black fruit farmers in the Western Cape say that if the ongoing unrest is not resolved soon, many of them will be ruined. Denene Erasmus reports.

AngloGold Ashanti admitted to repeated toxic spillages near Stilfontein, and criminal charges have been laid against it. Robyn Joubert reports.

The Mapungubwe Interpretive Centre (MIC) situated within the Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site has been temporarily closed due to the heavy rains in the area.

South African farmers and their employees should take heed of warnings of highly likely widespread heavy rains for the weekend of 18 to 20...

Cosatu has warned that it would ensure a retail boycott against farmers unwilling to pay their workers R150/day.

Buffalo City’s state veterinarian, Dr Stuart Varrie, appealed to horse owners in the Kei Mouth and Morgan Bay areas of the Eastern Cape not to report cases of African horse sickness (AHS) on social media websites, unless the disease had been confirmed through laboratory testing.

Livestock farmers in the drought-stricken eastern part of Limpopo have been urged to reduce their stock numbers to avoid losing more animals.

In 2012, South Africa exported a record 415 million litres of wine, beating the 2008 record of 411 million litres, said Wines of South Africa CEO, Su Birch.

South Africa’s Agricultural Business Chamber (AgBiz) urged government to implement the recommendations of the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation’s 2012 ‘State of Food and Agriculture’ report.

An analysis of farm worker wages has revealed that farmers can afford a slight increase in minimum wages, but that increasing the current prescribed minimum wage from R69/day to R150/day, as striking farm workers in the Western Cape have been demanding since November last year, was simply not feasible.

On-going labour unrest in the Western Cape, as some workers continue to demand that the minimum wage be increased from R69 to R150/day, will have far-reaching consequences for the agriculture sector.

Impact Africa has obtained rights from the Petroleum Agency of South Africa (PASA) to explore for oil and gas on a 14 378 km2 expanse offshore of West Bredasdorp, located roughly between Mossel Bay and Cape Agulhas.

Interested parties have been invited to comment on proposed oil and gas exploration activities in the West Bredasdorp Area.

Kwanalu president Brian Aitken said the agricultural union had initiated an economic study to determine what wages the various commodities could afford to pay.

South Africans can expect higher vegetable prices in 2013, said Kobus van Heerden, Sakata Seeds’ national marketing manager.

While below-average rainfall and temperatures are expected over South Africa until the end of January, weather forecasters are predicting wetter, cooler conditions for the later part of summer.

In 2013, South Africa’s game ranching industry – valued at more than R8 billion annually – intended to implement an initiative that would improve the health and safety of its meat products.

The ostrich industry has managed to survive one of its most challenging times, and it seems as if the worst of the H5N2 avian influenza virus crises is finally over.

Struggling to get decent prices for their timber products due to under-performing global markets, South Africa’s commercial foresters are hoping that government will come to the rescue.