South Africa

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a warning for heavy rainfall across Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, with the potential for severe flooding, property damage, and disruption of essential services. The adverse weather is expected to persist throughout the week.

The South African sugar industry is bracing for a transformative year in 2025 as stakeholders advance into the next phase of the Sugar Value Chain Master Plan to 2030.

Potatoes SA has warned against panic over potato supply amid a year of adverse weather. In 2024, potatoes reached record-high prices as black frost in Limpopo and drought in the Free State curtailed harvests towards the end of winter.

Various trends will reshape the global agribusiness environment over the next 10 years. These trends include agriculture in controlled environments, such as tunnels and greenhouses, which could counter seasonal production advantages, the rise of digital agriculture, artificial intelligence, the use of blockchain and big data, and a return to mechanical weed control using robots.

The past year saw an increase in the number of countries allowing for the cultivation and import of crops that have been genetically engineered (GE).

South African tractor sales increased by 17% to 9 181 units in 2022, making it the highest annual sales figure in the past 40 years, said Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz, in his recent market analysis.

Fresh produce marketers need to keep up with changing trends in consumer behaviour to make the best of marketing budgets.

South Africa faces job losses in excess of 20 000 should the EU proceed with legislation that bans the use of tea tree oil.

The arrival of the first full red apricot variety in South Africa holds huge potential for local producers and the expansion of apricot production, according to Michael Oosthuizen, International Plant Selection’s representative in South Africa.

The development of La Niña conditions could result in above-normal rainfall in some parts of the summer rainfall region from mid-January to March.

Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of Agbiz, said that the phasing out of the ban was good news for South African farmers as vegetable prices declined by roughly 4% since the introduction of import bans from neighbouring countries, such as Botswana and Namibia.

Wineries hope for good weather during the rest of the season to unlock the full potential of the coming wine harvest.

Meat inflation entered deflationary territory for the first time since May 2019, after clocking negative growth of -0,1% year-on-year (y/y) in November, according to Statistics South Africa’s latest consumer price update.

The Directorate of Inspection Services in the Department of Agriculture recently launched a campaign to tackle fake honey and illegal booze.

At the Science Forum 2024, held at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) unveiled an innovative point-of-care diagnostic device.

The drought over the past year had a markedly negative impact on the cash flow of agricultural producers, as reflected in the recently declared interim financial results of NWK.

TLU SA has expressed serious concern over the widespread and growing illegal diesel trade in South Africa, with estimates suggesting it could amount to millions, if not billions, of rands annually, according to Erika Helm, chairperson of TLU SA’s Local Government Committee.

There is still optimism in the agriculture sector despite the subdued performance over the past couple of months. This was the overall message conveyed during the Agbiz information day held in Pretoria on Friday.

Commercial Cold Holdings (CCH) officially launched its Greenbushes facility in Gqeberha on 5 December, marking a pivotal moment for the Eastern Cape’s agricultural and logistics sectors.

Soil provides nearly all of the world’s animals and humans with food and gives life to all of the world’s plants, which supply much of the oxygen that animals and humans need.