Productive Darnall farms targeted for housing development
KwaDukuza Municipality on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast intended to expropriate 24 properties in Darnall and the Nonoti-Fort Pearson area to build houses for two housing developments.
New minimum wage unaffordable, say farmers
The reactions of farmers, unions and farm workers to the announcement that the minimum daily wage for farm workers will increase from R69/ day to R105/day from 1 March suggests there are no real winners in the recent wage negotiations.
Tractor sales set to dip as rand depreciates
The recent weakening of the rand against important international currencies was likely to result in a dip in national agricultural machinery sales.
Floods in Mozambique a disaster for SA/Moz farmers
The flooding of the Limpopo River basin had claimed the lives of about 70 people and displaced an estimated 180 000 by the end of January.
2013 set to be an expensive year
The retail petrol price jumped 41c/l and the wholesale diesel price by 17,8c/ l on 6 February, mainly because of a weaker rand and higher global oil prices.
Legal dog racing mooted to curb vagrant dogs
The Eastern Cape Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (EC RPO) believed that the legalising of dog racing will put the brakes on the increasing problem of vagrant dogs killing and maiming livestock.
No stable economy with volatile political climate
“Politicians saying stupid things are simply not good for the economy,” said economist Dawie Roodt.
Farm worker minimum wage increased 52%, layoffs expected
The new minimum wage for farm workers, which will come into effect for one year on 1 March 2013, has been increased from R69 per day to R105 per day for employees who work nine hours a day.
Redwater disease outbreak in Mpumalanga
The recent heavy rains in Mpumalanga, along with high temperatures, caused the ideal conditions for blue ticks that cause redwater disease to thrive.
Back to work for farm workers in De Doorns
Farm worker strikes for a higher minimum wage in the Western Cape might be over, but farmers say the effect will linger for some time to come. Denene Erasmus reports.
Gerbils plague maize farmers
Farmers in the summer grain regions were battling to get gerbil infestations in their lands under control, with about 5% of their maize crops destroyed.
Average of 1,8 rhino per day killed in January
In the first month of the year no less than 57 rhino have already been killed by poachers in SA, with the Kruger National Park bearing the brunt of the onslaught.
