South Africa

Ahead of International Day of Potato on 30 May, attention is being given to the role potatoes play in food supply and agricultural activity in South Africa, alongside ongoing production pressures.

South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has called for faster regional cooperation to strengthen food security, improve fertiliser access, and contain the growing threat of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) across Southern Africa.

South African wheat farmers are facing mounting financial pressure as continued delays in the implementation of a revised wheat tariff add further uncertainty to an industry already grappling with rising input costs, weak profitability, and shrinking plantings.

During a roundtable discussion hosted by the Localisation Support Fund on 27 May in Sandton, Johannesburg, discussions centred on South Africa’s growing dependence on imported fuel and the commercial potential of sorghum bioethanol.

Speakers at the Hortgro Technical Symposium 2026, which kicked off in Somerset West in the Western Cape yesterday, said South Africa’s agriculture sector is being reshaped by climate shocks, logistics constraints, tightening regulation, and changing global trade dynamics, while remaining highly competitive and export-oriented.

A Pretoria High Court ruling on private foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination has opened a new chapter in South Africa’s disease-control response, granting livestock owners an interim court-protected route to procure and administer vaccines privately, while simultaneously exposing a gap between government’s interpretation of the judgment and what the court ordered.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for closer agricultural collaboration between South Africa and Botswana, while raising concerns over import restrictions affecting South African fruit and vegetable exports to the neighbouring country.

Flooding across much of the Western Cape in May has been described by some producers as the worst in 100 years, with record 24-hour rainfall for the period reported across the province, affecting all districts.

The discovery of dozens of dead pigs in and around Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape has renewed concerns over the biosecurity risks posed by free-roaming livestock in peri-urban communities, with veterinary authorities warning that uncontrolled animal movement can accelerate the spread of disease.

Cannabis and industrial hemp development formed part of discussions on Wednesday during day two of the Africa Agricultural Indaba, where stakeholders in agriculture, government and investment sectors gathered to assess value chain opportunities in the Eastern Cape and across South Africa.

The South African wine industry is under pressure from rising stock levels, a contracting vineyard footprint, and shifting global demand, forcing producers to rethink long-term production models.

South Africa’s annual consumer inflation rate accelerated sharply to 4% in April, up from 3,1% in March, driven primarily by a steep increase in fuel prices that filtered through the transport sector and broader economy.

At the Africa Agricultural Indaba 2026 in East London, the Eastern Cape government is intensifying its push for agriculture-led economic growth, with Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane and Agriculture MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe urging stronger investment in agro-processing, local procurement, and farmer commercialisation.

South African agriculture’s resilience was on display at the 58th Nampo Harvest Day, which attracted 81 822 visitors and more than 910 exhibitors to Nampo Park outside Bothaville in the Free State from 12 to 15 May despite difficult conditions.

Ahead of World Bee Day on 20 May, South African researchers and beekeepers warn that declining forage resources are placing sustained pressure on honeybee populations, threatening pollination services that underpin much of the country’s agricultural production.

The intense storms that hit the Western Cape earlier this month caused “billions of rands” in damage to the province’s agriculture sector, according to provincial Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism Dr Ivan Meyer, with power outages now threatening fruit exports and processing.

The South African poultry industry is taking Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau to court in a bid to suspend a long-standing rebate that allows tens of thousands of tons of US chicken into the country each year without antidumping duties.

The cost-price squeeze facing the grain industry is not only a threat to farmers but also poses a growing risk to the broader financial system if producers are unable to repay their debt obligations, says Land Bank chief agricultural economist Sakhumzi May.

Farmer’s Weekly and FarmTalk brought the agricultural community together in a show of solidarity and support at their FMD (foot-and-mouth disease) Relief Fund Golf Day, held on 21 April in Johannesburg, raising R186 000 to assist farmers affected by the disease.

Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen and Deputy Minister Rosemary Nokuzola Capa tabled the R7,8 billion Agriculture Budget Vote 29 for 2026/27 in Parliament in Cape Town on 15 May, with biosecurity spending prioritising foot-and-mouth disease control and vaccine rollout.